Juneteenth is neither the beginning nor the end of emancipation. It marks the distance between law and reality. Freedom was proclaimed on January 1, 1863, but more than 250,000 enslaved people in Texas remained in bondage until June 19, 1865. Juneteenth is the story of freedom delayed, resisted, and finally enforced.

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Image: In 1975, Juneteenth festivities in Fort Worth. Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram collection, The University of Texas at Arlington.