Juneteenth is a celebration to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Short for June Nineteenth, the holiday is observed every year on the 19th of June. Also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, it’s a time to celebrate Black liberation and honor the work of all those who have fought for equity and justice in America.

Juneteenth is also a time to recognize the considerable work ahead to achieve true freedom for all — to remove the barriers and inequities that drive hunger and poverty in our communities.

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History of Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, the Union Army finally entered Galveston to declare that the 250,000+ enslaved people in Texas were free. The news arrived more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, marking the formal end of slavery in the United States.

This historic date is now celebrated in 47 states and the District of Columbia — including here in North Carolina, where Juneteenth became a state holiday in 2007. Juneteenth is now a Federal holiday as well, following President Biden’s signature of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021.

Hunger and the Legacy of Slavery

Though formal slavery ended in 1865, we still experience its reverberations in our communities nearly 160 years later. Many of the serious challenges that drive hunger today are a direct result of generational poverty and systemic racism that can be traced all the way back to our nation’s founding.

The effects of systems and policies implemented in the years following Emancipation remain present today, including the disproportionate rates of hunger experienced by communities of color. Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture shows that Black Americans experience food insecurity at nearly double the rate of White Americans.

The challenges are even worse here in North Carolina, where hunger is 2-to-3 times more prevalent in Black and Hispanic/Latine households than White households. And the effects don’t stop at hunger and poverty. Black Americans:

As a result, the poverty rate for African American households today is an untenable 19% — compared to 9% for White households.

“Here at the Food Bank, we work day in and day out to ensure that everyone has access to the food and essential resources we need to thrive — no matter where we live, where we’re from, or the color of our skin. Addressing these barriers and disparities is vital to reaching a future where no one goes hungry.”

-Mickey Holt, Interim CEO

Additional Resources

Explore the following resources to learn more about the history of Juneteenth and the legacy of slavery in America:

Local Events

Check out the NC African American Heritage Commission calendar for a list of regional celebrations, in addition to these local events: