Juneteenth: Its Origins and Philadelphia’s Celebrations in 2025

Posted by Penn’s Village on June 17, 2025

“Juneteenth Independence Day”, “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day” has been celebrated since the late 1860s, and today all 50 states and the District of Columbia recognize this day in some form.  It commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States.

On June 19, 1865, after the April surrender of Confederate general Robert E. Lee at Appomattox, Virginia, Union general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. His mission was three-fold: announce the end of the Civil War, inform enslaved African Americans of their freedom, and enforce the Emancipation Proclamation that had been issued nearly two and a half years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln.

In 1980, Texas became the first state to officially designate Juneteenth as a holiday. America’s interest in the day was renewed during the summer of 2020 and the nationwide protests following the police killings of Black Americans, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.  In 2021, President Biden signed legislation that made Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Since June 19th falls on a Thursday this year, Philadelphia’s main observance of this day will be on Sunday, June 22nd.  Events will include a parade, a Juneteenth Marketplace and Art in the Park, a music festival and more.  To learn all the details click on this link.

The National Constitution Center Will Observe Juneteenth with a Program on W. E. B. Du Bois and His Impact on America Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David Levering Lewis, author of the definitive two-volume biography of W.E.B. Du Bois, will explore Du Bois’ life, legacy, and enduring impact on American history in a one-hour discussion.  To register for this free, online program at noon on Thursday, June 19th, click on this link.