Today marks one of the newest federal holidays, Juneteenth.
Celebrated on June 19th, the holiday celebrates the date in 1865 when Union troops freed African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas, roughly two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth became a national holiday in 2021, when then-President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
With it being a national holiday, banks and the post office are all closed.
The Manitowoc County Historical Society will be celebrating the holiday on Friday, with exhibits exploring the history of racial injustice in the U.S., the Civil War, and the limitations of the Emancipation Proclamation.
The program will run from 10:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the Pinecrest Historical Village, located at 924 Pine Crest Lane in Manitowoc.
For more details on the event visit ManitowocCountyHistory.org.
