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Jun 24, 2026

Juneteenth, equal rights and the heritage of ALL Americans

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Juneteenth, equal rights and the heritage of ALL Americans

By Post Editorial Board Published June 19, 2026, 6:00 a.m. ET

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America today celebrates Juneteenth, commemorating both the horrors of the nation’s original sin, slavery, and its end.

The holiday traces to victorious Union Gen. Gordon Granger’s June 19, 1865, order putting the Emancipation Proclamation into full legal effect across Texas and freeing all the state’s remaining slaves. It has since spread, culminating in federal recognition in 2021.

But what, as a holiday for all Americans, should we make of it?

Bubbles float around a bag Celebrate 1865 Juneteenth during Spartanburg celebrates Juneteenth Music in the Park in Spartanburg, S.C. Thursday, June 18, 2026.
A Juneteenth celebration in Spartanburg, SC, Thursday, June 18, 2026. USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co

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