What is Juneteenth? Is it a federal holiday in 2026?

This month, America celebrates its Juneteenth, commemorating the day the last group of enslaved African Americans was informed they were free.

Juneteenth marks the events of June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas when the last Black slaves of the Confederacy were ordered free following the arrival of Union troops.

Also called Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, the holiday rose to national prominence in 2020 amid nationwide protests against ongoing racial inequities, sparked in part by the police killings of George Floyd, a Black man, and Breonna Taylor, a Black woman. Juneteenth has been long celebrated by the Black community but was officially recognized as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021.

Here's what to know about the holiday.

When is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is on Friday, June 19, this year.

The day is considered a bank holiday, according to the Federal Reserve.

The United States Postal Service, schools and government offices will also be closed that day.

What is Juneteenth?

The holiday has been long celebrated by Black Americans and others with dancing, parades, ceremonies and historical reenactments.

It commemorates the full and complete enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation in the U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation to free enslaved African Americans in secessionist states on Jan. 1, 1863, but enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, would not learn of their freedom until two years later.

On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed the community of Galveston of Lincoln's proclamation. Although enslaved people had been officially emancipated years prior, enslavers responsible for telling them ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, founder of Juneteenth.com Cliff Robinson earlier told USA TODAY. Texas was the last Confederate state to have the proclamation announced.

Why is it called Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," in honor of the day that Granger announced the abolition of slavery in Texas.

The holiday is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.

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Did President Donald Trump cancel Juneteenth?

No. Trump did not cancel Juneteenth.

The president does not have the power to cancel a federal holiday without an act of Congress.

But, despite it being a federal holiday, Trump removed Juneteenth from the National Park Service's list of free days. The Trump administration also removed Martin Luther King Jr. Day from the list of fee-free days at all national parks.

Contributing: Samann Shafiq, Julia Gomez, N'dea Yancey-Bragg

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.