People dance during a Juneteenth commemoration at Leimert Park Plaza on Saturday, June 19, in Los Angeles.
Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP

In photos: The inaugural Juneteenth holiday

Updated 11:08 PM ET, Sat June 19, 2021

People dance during a Juneteenth commemoration at Leimert Park Plaza on Saturday, June 19, in Los Angeles.
Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP

Parades, street parties and grilling with family. The US is celebrating Juneteenth as a federal holiday for the first time in its history.

On Thursday, June 17, President Joe Biden signed legislation establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day -- a US federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery in Galveston, Texas, in accordance with President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.

Brock Harrell rings a bell during a reenactment to celebrate Juneteenth in Galveston, Texas.
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River City Drum Corp crosses the street during a march for the Juneteenth commencement in Louisville, Kentucky.
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Residents wait for the Juneteenth parade along Saginaw Street in downtown Flint, Michigan.
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Darian Anderson grills for his family and friends as they celebrate Juneteenth at River's Den Resort in New Braunfels, Texas.
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Tracy Palmer shows off her Juneteenth-inspired nails during one of two parades celebrating the holiday in downtown Flint.
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People perform during Juneteenth celebrations in the Harlem neighborhood of New York.
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Martha Ann Harris, center, participates in a Juneteenth celebration in Annapolis, Maryland.
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A woman displays rhinestones in her hair during the Juneteenth commencement at ROOTS 101: African American Museum in Louisville.
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The scoreboard displays signage for Juneteenth before a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco.
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Dance captain Shair'Mae Harris leads members from the For The Love of Dance Studio during a parade to celebrate Juneteenth in Flint.
Emily Elconin/Reuters
Brothers Brody and Braeden Maxey share a hug during a reenactment to celebrate Juneteenth in Galveston.
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Attendees visit George Floyd Square during a Juneteenth celebration in Minneapolis.
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