Juneteenth is a day for celebration and remembrance tied closely to the abolition of slavery in the United States. June 19, after all, marks the emancipation of slaves in the Confederate States in 1865 following the end of the Civil War.
While slavery still legally existed until the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment on December 6 of the same year, Juneteenth still marks a pivotal point in the fight for freedom. It officially becoming a federal holiday in 2021 was therefore a recognition of the men, women and children who lived through and were freed from the institution of slavery.