In a vibrant celebration of history and culture, the Black Scranton Project commemorated Juneteenth 2026 with an open house event at its Center for Arts & Culture on North Main Avenue. This significant date marks the moment when the last enslaved African Americans in the U.S. were liberated.
Juneteenth, observed on June 19, originated from the day in 1865 when Union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas, declaring the end of slavery. This came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which had declared all enslaved individuals in Confederate states free as of January 1, 1863. However, it wasn’t until Major General Gordon Granger’s announcement that the proclamation was enforced in Texas, following the conclusion of the Civil War.
While Juneteenth has been celebrated in various forms by communities and states, it wasn’t recognized as a federal holiday until 2021. The Black Scranton Project first celebrated Juneteenth in 2019, and the 2026 event offered attendees a glimpse into the nonprofit’s mission through building tours and displays of archival materials.
Learn more about Juneteenth
● How much do you know about Juneteenth? — Associated Press quiz
● National Juneteenth coverage — Associated Press
● How news of the Emancipation Proclamation spread through the South — NPR
● ‘Grandmother of Juneteenth’ celebrates freedom, 2.5 miles at a time — NPR
● What is Juneteenth? — Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
