Across the United States on Thursday, June 19, Americans celebrated the federal holiday commemorating the day the last group of enslaved African Americans were informed they were free.
The day, dubbed Juneteenth, reflects on a moment when the promise of freedom first enshrined in the Declaration of Independence became a reality for more of its citizens.
In 2021, then-President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. It officially named the holiday that has been long celebrated by Black people and beyond with dancing, parades, ceremonies and historical reenactments.
The holiday marks the date in 1865 – more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation – that Major General Gordon Granger and 2,000 Union Army troops came to Galveston Bay, Texas, to proclaim freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state.
This year’s celebrations took place across the country, with the lessons of history as important as ever.
‘This is American history’: From Galveston to Concord, 5 communities keep Juneteenth stories alive
Juneteenth in Illinois
The city of Peoria, in Central Illinois, celebrated the day with a parade, poetry and a picnic. An area festival also featured food, musical performances, a bake-off and more.
More than 1,000 miles north east, in Worchester, Massachusetts, the YWCA hosted Juneteenth celebrations with a flag raising ceremony and a vow to keep tradition and the history alive, the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
“We are not here to celebrate,” said Sha-Asia Medina, a volunteer with the area’s Black Heritage Committee. “This is something to acknowledge and honor our ancestors, but the attack on our history and culture continues. This Juneteenth is important, especially given the time that we’re in.”
Here are other photos of Americans celebrating the relatively new holiday across the United States in cities including Atlanta, New York and Savannah.
Fans display a banner which reads “Happy Juneteenth” prior to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 group A match between Internacional CF Miami and FC Porto at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on June 19, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tory Jonson from Omega Psi Phi, steps with his fraternity at the Milwaukee’s 2025 Juneteenth Jubilee parade on Thursday, June 19, 2025 in Milwaukee. The event included over 400 vendors.
Jakari Evans get the parade crowd pumped up while participating in the Milwaukee 2025 Juneteenth Jubilee parade with the Milwaukee Transit group on Martin Luther King Jr., Drive on Thursday, June 19, 2025 in Milwaukee.
The Juneteenth Jubilee at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 19, 2025. Otto Rabe/The Enquirer.
Broadway actors cheer for the kids performing with “Young Gifted and Broadway” at the Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert at Times Square in New York City, U.S., June 19, 2025.
People cheer during the Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert at Times Square in New York City, U.S., June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis
The crowd cheers for 2024 Tony award winner Kecia Lewis’ performance at the Broadway Celebrates Juneteenth concert in Times Square in New York City, U.S., June 19, 2025. REUTERS/Angelina Katsanis
Hundreds of Savannahians gathered in Wells Park for the second Juneteenth Walk to the River in Savannah, where people walked down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to Plant Riverside to commemorate the holiday on June 19, 2025.
People gather on King Drive for the 2025 Juneteenth Day celebration in Milwaukee on June 19, 2025. Milwaukee’s Juneteenth celebration, one of the oldest in the country, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and honors the legacy and culture of African Americans.
Event organizer Teri Jiones speaks with the Juneteenth flag behind her. The Balaam Allen Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by the Greater Allen Chapel AME Church, included a gravesite dedication at the Line Street Cemetery. Balaam Allen, a former slave, was one of the pioneers and founders of Melbourne, along with Wright Brothers and Peter Wright.
Ade (Jeanette) Wilson, a teacher at Bayside High in Palm Bay, pays respects at the new headstone. The Balaam Allen Juneteenth Celebration, hosted by the Greater Allen Chapel AME Church, included a gravesite dedication at the Line Street Cemetery. Balaam Allen, a former slave, was one of the pioneers and founders of Melbourne, along with Wright Brothers and Peter Wright.
Jun 19, 2025; Teaneck, NJ, USA; Noah Solomon receives a standing ovation after speaking about the history of Juneteenth during a Juneteenth celebration at Votee Park.
In the red carpet area of the Ohio History Connection, Theo White (left) plays Booker T. Washington, and Zachery Franklin plays W.E.B. Du Bois at the Juneteenth celebration on June 19, 2025.
Ohio History Connection staff member Valerie Boyer celebrates Juneteenth by dancing with children at a Juneteenth Celebration at the Ohio History Center on June 19, 2025. She is a native of Galveston, Texas, where Juneteenth originated.
The OrigiNation Dance Troupe performed on the Memorial Building Plaza at Framingham’s third annual Juneteenth Ceremony and Flag Raising, June 19, 2025.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celebrating Juneteenth across the United States: see photos
