
Juneteenth being declared a federal holiday in the United States and Emancipation Day being officially recognized on Aug. 1 in Canada demonstrate significant progress towards creating more equitable societies in North America.
Juneteenth — a portmanteau of June and nineteenth — celebrates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. On June 19, 1865, General Order No. 3 was released. It officially enforced the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas and granted freedom to all remaining enslaved people in the U.S.