Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of enslaved Black people in the United States. The holiday originated on June 19th, 1865 in Galveston, Texas with the passing of General Order No. 3. This Order was passed by the Union Army to share the news of the national Emancipation Proclamation to Texan residents, freeing all remaining enslaved people in the state.

Juneteenth was originally celebrated by praying and bringing families together. In some celebrations, formerly enslaved people and their descendants, also made an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated in both small and large gatherings, from family backyard to city-wide parades.

This year, join VAIPL in celebrating Juneteenth with Henrico County at our table on Saturday, June 19th, from 1-10 PM at Dorey Park! Also, check out the June episodes of our weekly web series, Environmental Justice Now!, in which we have discussed how environmental harm has oppressed Black communities across the state of Virginia.