Activists Rally in Washington to Commemorate 155 Years Since End of Slavery - Video

The tradition to celebrate the end of slavery on 19 June dates back to 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger of the US Army marched into Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and the slaves were now free. It happened two years after President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.

A live broadcast shows thousands of people in Washington, DC, celebrating Juneteenth, an anniversary of the abolition of slavery, amplified in its significance and scale by a nationwide campaign against the remnants of racial discrimination.

The 19th of June is also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day. This year's celebration takes place amid worldwide protests against racism sparked by the death of George Floyd in police custody.

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