The post-emancipation period known as Reconstruction (1865-1877) marked an era of great hope, uncertainty, and struggle for the nation as a whole. Formerly enslaved people immediately sought to reunify families, establish schools, run for political office, push radical legislation and even sue slaveholders for compensation. Given the 200+ years of enslavement, such changes were nothing short of amazing. Not even a generation out of slavery, African Americans were inspired and empowered to transform their lives and their country. Juneteenth marks our country's second independence day.
-- National Museum of African American History & Culture
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth is a “black English” colloquialism that is a combination of two words—a contraction of the words “June” and “nineteenth,” and it signifies a festival of freedom—an annual celebration to remember the end of chattel slavery in America. Read more in the Oxford African American Studies Center.
Online Resources
The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth
National Museum of African American History and Culture
2022 Juneteenth Proclamation
Joe Biden, President of the United States
Juneteenth and Emancipation Day in Florida
Florida Memory, State Library and Archives of Florida
Freedom Drumming: A Documentary
Emancipation Day 2021
From the Collection
Juneteenth Texas: essays in African-American folklore by 
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