Juneteenth National Independence Day—also called Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day, and Freedom Day—celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Every year, June 19 marks the holiday, our country’s second Independence Day.
Why do we celebrate Freedom Day on June 19th every year?
The holiday originated in Galveston, Texas when news of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached citizens of this westernmost Confederate state on June 19, 1865. While President Abraham Lincoln signed the proclamation freeing slaves on January 1, 1863, Confederate states disregarded the order until the end of the Civil War and Union troops advanced into those regions. It took roughly one and a half years after the signing for some enslaved people to finally learn that they were free!
While the ratification of the 16th amendment on December 6, 1865, formally ended slavery in the United States, Juneteenth did not become a federally established holiday until 2021. Even so, regions across the United States, including in the Bay Area, have celebrated the holiday for decades (and for over 150+ years in some Black communities).
Learn more about Juneteenth’s historical legacy at the website of the National Museum of African American History & Culture as well as past blogs written by Marin County Free Library staff.
When is this year’s Juneteenth celebration in Marin County?
On Saturday, June 21 from 11am-6pm at Rocky Graham Park, come out to the 9th annual Marin City Juneteenth Community Festival. This year’s theme is “Kuumba, the 5th Principle of Kwanzaa, translated from Swahili to mean: Creativity.” Find out more about the celebration including schedule, on-site child-care, vendor registration, and special guests at the Juneteenth Festival 2025 website.
There are more Bay Area Juneteenth events, too, including the Berkeley and SF Juneteenth Festivals.
How might I better understand and celebrate Juneteenth with my library card?
Take a look at these rich resources:
- Juneteenth: A Collection of Films Celebrating Freedom on Kanopy
- Black Life in America, an online news repository that offers an array of news media sources celebrating the impacts and experiences of African Americans
- The HistoryMakers, is a nationally acclaimed digital archive features clips, images, and transcripts for the stories of thousands of prominent Black people
Or explore these fantastic staff-created lists:
References
https://www.almanac.com/juneteenth
https://equity.marincounty.org/events/9th-marin-city-juneteenth-community-festival-2025
https://juneteenthcommunityfestival.info/
https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/historical-legacy-juneteenth
Contributed by Sarah Broderick, Community Library Specialist
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