Juneteenth 2024: An RTM News Series

Finding freedom in a place known as the land of the free. On Jan. 1, 1863, Union soldiers entered plantations in the American South to announce the end of slavery by reading the Emancipation Proclamation. But freedom would not become a reality for thousands of Black people who remained in bondage two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The Confederate state of Texas would only relinquish the horrid system of slavery after Gen. Gordon Granger, along with over 2,000 Union soldiers, marched into& Galveston Bay, Texas on June 19, 1865. By order of executive decree, the last 250,000 enslaved Black people were free. In 1866, the celebration known as “Juneteenth” would become a time to rejoice for Black people in Galveston, and eventually became a tradition mostly celebrated in the Southern region.& For decades, Juneteenth celebrations in the South would feature parades, pageants, and festivals that provided opportunities for camaraderie and education.& & President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a national holiday in 2021, giving it mass appeal and connecting the nation’s past to the present.& In a series that features exclusive interviews, photos, and videos, Juneteenth is explored through the scope of Real Times Media’s News Team which consists of New...