Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. The tradition began in 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Texas received word, belatedly, of their emancipation. The celebrations have spread around the country, and in the wake of nationwide protests after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis in 2020, the day became a federal holiday.
Marcus Harrison Green is the founder of the South Seattle Emerald, a columnist with The Stranger, and co-host of the new podcast In the Meanwhile. He talked to KUOW’s Kim Malcolm about holiday celebrations here in Seattle.
