Juneteenth is arguably one of the most historic days in Texas history, but unfortunately does not get the respect it deserves. The 19th of June, or Juneteenth as it has become known, is the day African Americans received word that they were free in Texas. President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but word was slow to spread to Texas until two-and-a-half years later. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived with troops on Galveston Island and announced that all enslaved African Americans were free. That day has become a sacred and celebrated day in ...