950 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20560
202-633-4600
202.357.4879 (fax)
nmafaweb@si.edu
10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily except December 25.
Admission is free.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas, origin in 1865—approximately two and one-half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation—the observance of June 19 as African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today, Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some locales a month marked with remembrances, celebrations, guest speakers, picnics, and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection, rejoicing, assessment, self-improvement, and for planning the future. From rural communities to metropolitan cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities, and religions are learning about and acknowledging a period in U.S. history that shaped and continues to influence our society today.
(source: https://juneteenth.com)
