06/19/2026
The history of Juneteenth (also known as Freedom Day) dates back to 1865 in Texas, where the final enslaved people in America were declared free under the Emancipation Proclamation. Though its history is much older, it was declared an official federal holiday in 2021. DAV takes this holiday to reflect on the profound impact that Black veterans of the Civil War had and the sacrifices they made to make freedom a possibility for all Americans.