Celebrating Juneteenth: Freedom Reached Galveston

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that should have come much sooner: slavery had been abolished. Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, over 250,000 people were still enslaved in Texas — until that day.

That moment became Juneteenth — a celebration of Black liberation, resilience, and the long, unfinished road toward justice in America.

It’s not just a day of historical reflection. It’s a mirror.

Because Juneteenth is about more than the end of slavery — it’s about the fight that followed: for voting rights, for economic justice, for dignity. It’s about the power of community, culture, and memory to hold this country accountable to its promises.

In 2021, Juneteenth was finally recognized as a federal holiday. But the work is far from over. Voter suppression, racial violence, and systemic inequities remain.

This Juneteenth, we remember what freedom really means — and who still waits for its full arrival. At Leading Ladies Vote, we honor the Black women and organizers who have always been on the frontlines of that struggle.

“If the freedom of one is chained, the freedom of all is threatened.” 
— Coretta Scott King