In honor of Juneteenth, which is June 19, 2025, here is a story originally published by the Gadsden Times on June 15, 2022, on the history of the holiday. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From Galveston, Texas to Knoxville, Tennessee, communities across the country are celebrating Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of the last African American enslaved people in Texas.