Juneteenth 2026

This Juneteenth, Notre Dame honors the importance of freedom, equality, and inclusivity.

About the observance

Juneteenth (a combination of June and nineteenth) commemorates Union troops arriving in Galveston, Tex., on June 19, 1865, to inform the region’s enslaved Blacks that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed—more than two years earlier.

In Texas and across the southern parts of the U.S., the observance has long been observed with barbecues, picnics, cultural events, and other festivities. In 2021, Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday.

Notre Dame news and media

• Book Symposium: Robert O'Sullivan, Nationalism, Imperialism and Anti-Slavery: The Irish-American Press in the Era of Emancipation, 1840-1865 (April 2026)

• Honoring Juneteenth (June 2025)

• Rare Books and Special Collections exhibit explores emancipation during the 19th century (November 2023)

• Africana studies professor’s book, detailing how slavery’s influence survived emancipation, wins Paul E. Lovejoy Prize (March 2023)

• The Rally: Commemorating Juneteenth (June 2020)

• American studies professor’s research on slaves’ courtroom testimony garners multiple book awards (April 2020)

• Ralph Ellison’s Juneteenth sermon (June 2020)

• Behind Juneteenth: Emancipation (June 2019)

• Thomas Jefferson, slavery, and religion: Rethinking an American icon (August 2017)

• The stationmaster (Summer 2017)

Notre Dame units, departments, and organizations

• Department of Africana Studies

• Black Faculty and Staff Association

• Black Graduate Student Association

• Black Law Students Association

• Black Student Association

Additional resources

• The historical legacy of Juneteenth (National Museum of African American History and Culture)

• Honoring Opal Lee, "The Grandmother of Juneteenth" (National Museum of African American History and Culture)

• Juneteenth: Faith & Freedom (PBS)

Originally published by Cidni Sanders at weareall.nd.edu on June 12, 2026.