Juneteenth (short for "June Nineteenth") marks the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people were be freed. This occurred a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, Juneteenth is a federal holiday that serves as a day of celebration, remembrance, and reflection on the gift of freedom and the pursuit of liberty and justice for all people.