Juneteenth, the June 19 federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, falls on a Friday this year, making it an ideal day for celebration. Across Baltimore and Maryland, organizations are marking the occasion with festivals, concerts, educational programs, family activities, and community celebrations.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved African Americans that they were free—more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
The holiday became a federal holiday in 2021 and has since become one of the nation’s most important annual celebrations of Black history, culture, resilience, and achievement…