UH professor explains the importance of Juneteenth

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, symbolizes the end of slavery in America.

This year marks the 156th anniversary of Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and declared that all enslaved people were emancipated by General Order No. 3. This announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Granger’s declaration led to the freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved Texans.

Raul Ramos, an associate professor of History and Ethnic Studies at UH and an expert on Texas culture and class history, appeared on KPRC 2+ to discuss the significance of the impact of General Order No. 3 on Texas and other Confederate states.

You can stream KPRC 2+ weekdays at 7 a.m. on click2houston.com and the KPRC 2 app.

MORE: LIST: Juneteenth celebration events happening in Houston, Galveston in 2022