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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Guardian staff and agency

Juneteenth: how did the holiday start and how is it celebrated today?

Juneteenth Gordon Granger Joe Biden Opal Lee United States Slavery Texas
Domino Holmes, left, of Dallas, and Chana Olse, of Fort Worth, look at images on a phone at a Juneteenth block party in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas on Sunday,
Domino Holmes, left, and Chana Olse, look at images on a phone at a Juneteenth block party in the Deep Ellum neighborhood of Dallas. Photograph: Stewart F House/AP

Many Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.

For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of the darkest chapter in US history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts.

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