TEXAS – Over the decades, popularity and awareness surrounding Juneteenth has ebbed and flowed. As the country takes a renewed look at the realities of being black in America, the upcoming holiday is continuing its growth in popularity. Some are even calling for the June 19 holiday to be recognized and celebrated on a federal level.

But in Texas, the holiday has been “official” for the last 40 years and it was the first state to make it so by more than a decade.

Juneteenth, also known as “Freedom Day” in some places, got its origins on June 19, 1865. That was the day Union general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and started spreading word that all slaves were free as part of the Emancipation Proclamation. That day was more than two years after the proclamation was signed by President Lincoln.

According to the Texas State Historical Association, there were approximately 250,000 slaves in Texas at the time and word of Granger’s announcement was slowly spread by word-of-mouth.

The first Juneteenth celebrations were seen across the state the following year, 1866. Historians say that as former Texas slaves started moving across the country, Juneteenth celebrations moved with them.

Until the 1960s, Juneteenth was celebrated annually by thousands, but as the civil rights movement started picking up steam, historians say there was a “diminished interest” in Juneteenth celebrations. They attribute this trend to the push for integration.

Juneteenth started growing in interest again throughout the ‘70s, and in 1979, the late Rep. Al Edwards introduced the bill that would make the day an official state holiday.

The legislation was passed, signed into law, and the following year was the first time the holiday was sponsored by a government entity.

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Currently 47 states recognize the significance of the day in some way, but in recently more states are talking about making the day an official holiday, some trying to make the day paid for state workers.

Others, though, are calling for the federal government to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

This year many local organizations that host usually host celebrations are having to make adjustments because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some are hosting virtual events while others have been forced to outright cancel.