June 19, 1865 Union soldiers landed at Galveston to announce that the war had ended and slaves in the south were free.
Since then 43 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the holiday of Juneteenth. It is the nation's preeminent celebration of the end of slavery, but many across the country have never heard of it and others hold it at arms length.
Should Juneteenth be a federally mandated holiday? Why is their resistance to it and how did it become the largest celebration of emancipation in the United States?
Guests:
- Byron Miller, Juneteenth Commissioner for San Antonio's celebration.
- Emily Blank, Professor of History at Rowan University
