STAAR Leaders participates in the celebration of Juneteenth History.

The original “Juneteenth” recognition occurred on June 19^th, 1865 in Galveston, Texas when the slaves living in Texas were notified that they no longer had to endure the appalling life of slavery. This occurred 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation declared that all slaves where free in all confederate states.         

Unfortunately, the Emancipation Proclamation had little effect on the civilians of Texas. There were scarce amounts of Union troops to enforce the order so many slaves were still enslaved. Slave masters intentionally refused to tell slaves of their freedom until “one more crop” had been harvested. Juneteenth is a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in every state of the United States of America. This holiday illustrates the unification of a nation.