Juneteenth is approaching, and there are several Houston-area events to commemorate the special holiday.

Celebrated every year on June 19, Juneteenth marks the day when African American slaves in Galveston, Texas, were told in 1865 that they had been freed, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation outlawed slavery and two months after the Civil War ended in April 1865.

As of 2021, Juneteenth is a national holiday, and Houstonians have celebrated it for decades; its proximity to Galveston makes it a special place for those who celebrate the day the very last slaves were freed.