On June 19, 1865, federal troops marched into Galveston, Texas, and freed the last enslaved people in America, two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
The following year, Black Texans gathered to celebrate the first official Juneteenth. The observance included church services, and celebrants wore new clothes to celebrate their newfound freedom.
Juneteenth became an official Texas state holiday in 1980, with many states following suit, and in 2021, Juneteenth was made a national holiday. Juneteenth celebrates the freedom of African Americans, the culture they have created and their many achievements.
PSRC celebrates Juneteenth and the many leaps and bounds African Americans in the region have taken to achieve equality. To understand the history of Black residents in the sound region and their fight for equity, check out our Legacy of Structural Racism Interactive Report.
Even though we have made strides toward equality, there is a lot more work to do for Black people to achieve equity, as race still predicts outcomes in the region. To combat inequities within the region, PSRC will release our equity tracker this month. The Equity Tracker enhances PSRC’s ability to support members and stakeholders in pursuit of their equity objectives and helps elevate equity in agency work.