slaves within the United States were forever free.

 January 1, 1863, the state of Texas did not comply with President Lincoln’s proclamation, keeping the slaves unaware that they were free. Two and one-half years later on June 19, 1865 General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and began spreading the word. For one hundred forty-two years African Americans in Texas have celebrated that day of freedom.
 

Legislation was passed June 13, 1979 and signed into effect by Governor William P. Clements as written and lobbied for by Houston’s State Representative Al Edwards, declaring Juneteenth a legal Texas state holiday.

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated throughout most of the other states and countries like Japan with California ‘s Juneteenth America, Inc. working to have the date become a "National Day of Freedom". It would be come the first ever national holiday commemorating slavery.