On June 19, 1865, Union general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and issued a proclamation freeing the town’s enslaved people, who were still being held in bondage despite the Confederacy’s surrender two months earlier. For many years now — long before it was made a national holiday in 2021 — Texans have celebrated this occasion as Juneteenth, a time to reflect, remember and most importantly celebrate with family, friends and community.