06/19/2026
Do you know the real historical legacy of Juneteenth?
On “Freedom’s Eve,” the eve of January 1, 1863, enslaved and free African Americans gathered in churches and private homes across the country, awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect. At the stroke of midnight, all enslaved people in Confederate States were declared legally free.
Union soldiers, many of whom were Black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation, spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States.
But not everyone in Confederate territory would immediately be free. In Texas, which was far from the main fighting and Union soldiers to enforce the decree, enslavers continued to hold people in bo***ge, even though they knew emancipation had been declared. Enslaved people there also knew they were supposed to be free!
Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. Enslaved people had known for two years that they were free, but on this date, a long-delayed reality backed by federal authority established freedom for more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state.
The Health District will be closed June 19th in recognition and celebration of Juneteenth, with appreciation for Black history and the incredible contributions and influence of our Black community members.
