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What is Juneteenth and how is Colorado celebrating?

The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, Texas with news the war was over and the enslaved were free.

COLORADO, USA — Juneteenth, the combination of "June" and "nineteenth," has been a day of celebration for more than 150 years.

The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger landed in Galveston, Texas with news the war was over and the enslaved were free. 

The Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves in the United States, was issued by President Abraham Lincoln in January 1863. But the news didn’t reach slaves in Texas until June 19, 1865.

> Learn about the history of Juneteenth in the video above from our sister station WHAS11.

Slaves were so happy about their freedom that they started dancing and celebrating, and generations have celebrated on June 19 ever since.

"This is our Independence Day," Denver School Board Director Tay Anderson told 9NEWS.

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