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David Wright Faladé

A statue of a man holding the state law that made Juneteenth a state holiday is shown June 17, 2020, in Galveston, Texas. The inscription on the statue reads: "On June 19, 1865, at the close of the Civil War, U.S. Army General Gordon Granger issued an order in Galveston stating that the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation was in effect. That event, later known as Juneteenth, marked the end of slavery in Texas." (David J. Phillip/AP)

David Wright Faladé: Black Texans were not ignorant of their freedom before June 19, 1865

June 19, 2025 at 5:00 a.m.

African Americans had likely known themselves to be legally free before General Order No. 3, but acting on this knowledge was difficult.