June 19, or Juneteenth, marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free.

An estimated 250,000 slaves residing in Texas were informed of their freedom. This news came two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Because there was a minimal number of Union troops in Texas to enforce Lincoln’s Executive Order, it wasn’t until the surrender of General Lee and the arrival of General Gordon Granger’s regiment that slaves were finally set free in Texas.

Many Texans embrace Juneteenth as a time to honor black heritage with events across the state, though as Slate puts it, "it's difficult to celebrate freedom when your life is defined by oppression on all sides."

America has a lot of work to do to ensure that all people have equitable access to resources and the ability to live their lives freely. From reparations, to guaranteeing freedoms, we can continue to make progress.

Here are ways to celebrate Juneteenth across Texas:

Austin Area

June 13 - ACC’s Annual Juneteenth Festival at ACC Eastview Campus

June 13 - ARA Juneteenth Artist Celebration at the Herman-Schieffer House

June 14 - 6th Annual Juneteenth Music Festival at Austin ISD Performing Arts Center

June 14 - Juneteenth Float Decorating Party, hosted by Travis County Democratic Party

June 14 - (Georgetown) Juneteenth Reception

June 14 - (Manor) Texas Juneteenth Family Reunion Weekend

June 14 - (Round Rock) Juneteenth Rhythm & Ribs Festival

June 15 - 2K Freedom Run/Walk

June 15 - Let Freedom Ring! Juneteenth at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center

June 15 - Juneteenth Book Sale at the Carver Branch, Austin Public Library

June 15 - Juneteenth March, hosted by Corinth Missionary Baptist Church

June 15 - Juneteenth Parade & March

June 15 - Juneteenth Stories at the Carver Branch, Austin Public Library, hosted by Outreach Productions

June 15 - Park Festival

June 15 - (Georgetown) Juneteenth Celebration

June 19 - WORD Juneteenth Edition at the Big Easy Bar and Grill

June 19 - (Pflugerville) Juneteenth Presentation

June 19 - (Round Rock) A Juneteenth Celebration at TheMBA

DFW Area

June 12 - (Dallas) Juneteenth at the Dallas Public Library

June 14 - (Denton) Juneteenth Celebration

June 15 - (Cedar Hill) Best Southwest Juneteenth Celebration

June 15 - (Dallas) Dallas Southern Pride Presents Juneteenth Unity Weekend

June 15 - (Dallas) Juneteenth Play, hosted by Oak Cliff Red Bird Arts and Entertainment Group

June 15 - (Fort Worth) Juneteenth Parade & Festival at Tarrant County College - South Campus

June 15 - (Irving) Juneteenth Celebration

June 18 - (Fort Worth) Juneteenth the Stage Play

June 19 - (Dallas) Discussion and Celebration of Juneteenth by Historian Donald Payton and The South Dallas Concert Choir

June 19 - (Dallas) Juneteenth Celebration at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center

June 19 - (Fort Worth) 1st Annual Juneteenth BBQ cook-off contest

June 19 - (Hurst) Juneteenth Northeast: A Celebration of Arts & Letters

June 22 - (Dallas) 34th Annual Hamilton Park Juneteenth Parade and Festival

June 24 - (Arlington) 4th Annual Arlington Juneteenth Celebration

Galveston

June 15 - The Green Book Lecture & Shoebox Luncheon at Menard Hall

June 19 - 154th annual Juneteenth Celebration

June 19 - 40th annual Al Edwards’ Juneteenth Prayer Breakfast

June 19 - Emancipation March and program

June 19 - International Day of Drumming and Healing program at the Nia Cultural Center

Houston Area

June 15 - 147th Annual Juneteenth Celebration

June 15 - Juneteenth Celebration Event at BAUUC

June 15 - Mayor Turner’s Annual Acres Homes Juneteenth Parade

June 15 - (Dickinson) Juneteenth Brunch

June 15 - (Humble) Juneteenth Freedom Festival

June 15 - (Pearland) Juneteenth Celebration at Pearland Town Center

June 19 - Juneteenth Annual Celebration at McClendon Park

June 22 - (La Marque) Juneteenth Celebration

San Antonio Area

June 14-15 - Juneteenth Job & Resource Fair at the Navajo Civic Center

June 15 - 40th Juneteenth Parade at St. Philip’s College

June 15 - Juneteenth Celebration Health Fair

June 15 - Juneteenth Parade at Sam Houston High School

June 15 - Juneteenth Festival at Comanche Park

June 17 - 19th Annual Juneteenth Golf Tournament

Texas City

June 14 - Juneteenth Poetry Slam at the Doyle Convention Center

June 14-15 - 26th annual Juneteenth Softball Tournament

June 15 - Juneteenth Parade and Festival from Stingaree Stadium to Rainbow Park

June 19 - Juneteenth Golf Tournament

June 20 - Juneteenth Celebration at College of the Mainland

Other Texas Cities

June 13-16 (Lubbock) RISE UP Juneteenth Celebration

June 14 - (Odessa) 2019 Juneteenth Celebration

June 15 - (Corpus Christi) Juneteenth for the Crest

June 15 - (Lufkin) Juneteenth Celebration

June 15 - (Sherman) Juneteenth Celebration

June 16 - (Harker Heights) Juneteenth Celebration

June 22 - (Waco) Juneteenth Family Fun Day

Editorial Note: Progress Texas is not an organizer of these events. If you have more Juneteenth events or celebrations you would like to add to the list, please send them my way: tara@progresstexas.org.