Today, June 19, 2015, is the 150 year anniversary of Freedom Day, also known as ‘Juneteenth.’ On June 19, 1865, word of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the state of Texas, and all remaining African American slaves throughout the confederate south were set free. While ‘Juneteenth’ (a combination of ‘June’ and ‘nineteenth’) has not yet become a National Holiday, it has become widely recognized as a day to celebrate the official end of slavery in the United States.
Local celebrations this year include the 25th Annual Ohio Freedom Festival in Columbus and the Cincinnati Juneteenth Festival, both scheduled for this weekend.