Though the Emancipation Proclamation took effect in 1863, it would be two years before enslaved people in places that remained under Confederate control became free. Among those places was Galveston, Texas, where 2,000 Union troops arrived on June 19, 1865 to announce that the more than 250,000 enslaved people in the state were free.
That day became known as "Juneteenth" and began the era of Reconstruction, when the newly freed sought to reunify families and establish participation in civic life, from education and politics to, in some cases, compensation from former slaveholders.
Juneteenth became a public holiday under the Biden administration in 2021. For the YWCA network, it is an opportunity to further deliver on the mission to eliminate racism and empower women every day, especially for Black women, girls, and families who continue to face systemic barriers in housing, healthcare, education, and safety.
Donate today to support programs that uphold the mission.