One hundred and sixty years after word reached Galveston, Texas, that enslaved African Americans were now free, the city is honouring Juneteenth year round.

On 19 June 1865, a Union general arrived in Galveston, Texas – then a remote barrier island still under Confederate control – and informed a group of enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended and they were now free. Although President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclimation more than two years earlier, declaring all enslaved people in Confederate states "henceforth shall be free", the policy had not been enforced in Texas due to its geographical distance and the minimal presence of Union troops. Black residents reacted to news of their belated freedom with a mixture of shock, disbelief and ultimately jubilation.

These initial celebrations formed the basis of what would eventually become a Texas state holiday in 1980. And as Black Texans relocated across the country and brought their traditions with them, the event became a unified day of celebration in African American communities across the South.

Despite its long grassroots history, Juneteenth only became the US's newest national holiday in 2021 when then-US President Biden signed legislation formally recognising 19 June as a national day of observance. Known variously as Juneteenth (a combination of the words "June" and "19th"), Freedom Day, Emancipation Day or Jubilee Day, it is now marked by parades, rallies and cookouts in cities across the US.

Cities such as Philadelphia, Atlanta and Tulsa host some of the largest celebrations in the US, but in Galveston – where it all began – the island city is embracing its role as the birthplace of what has become a national celebration.

"We have a lot of special events leading up to and on the day of [Juneteenth]," said Mary Beth Bassett, Visit Galveston's senior public relations manager. "But what's more important is that you can come and realise the significance of Galveston as the birthplace of Juneteenth at any time of year."

This year, Galveston marks the 160th anniversary of the original announcement with a packed calendar of events. Alongside its annual parade, fireworks display and community picnic, the city will host a reenactment of the reading of General Order No 3, the proclamation that that brought word of emancipation to Texas, at Ashton Villa, a historic home built in 1859.

Beyond the main day,........

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