Commemorating a day in history that has remained largely unknown within the white community, the African American community has celebrated Juneteenth and the end of slavery in the United States for generations. On June 19, 1865—two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln and two months after the Civil War had ended—General Gordon Granger of the Union Army rode into Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3, which proclaimed that “all slaves are free,” in the last Confederate state to abolish slavery.

In 2021, in bipartisan legislation unanimously approved by every member of the Senate, President Biden signed into law Senate Bill 475, making Juneteenth a federal holiday. Today, Juneteenth is a day for all of us to reflect upon the African American experience and celebrate the many contributions African Americans have made to our society in every walk of life. It is also a time to strengthen our resolve to educate ourselves about racism in all its forms, to work to eliminate it, and to pray for real and lasting change.

To that end, we offer the following resources from the Archdiocese of Seattle Multicultural Ministries and the local Black Catholic Advisory Circle.

What is Juneteenth?

How do you celebrate Juneteenth?

Grappling with America’s Legacy of Slavery

So you Want to Learn about Juneteenth?

Celebration and Mourning



Educational Videos about Juneteenth for Kids