Juneteenth. The holiday -- named for and celebrated on June 19 — commemorates the true ending of slavery in the United States. (You'll note, it is not Jan.
1, the date of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. More on this below.) From its celebratory roots in churches across Texas, Juneteenth remains short of a national holiday — for now — but is recognized nationwide in most states.This year's Juneteenth will get high-profile recognitions via Alicia Keys and John Legend's "battle of the pianos" for Verzuz's Instagram Live and the «Black History Month Spectacular» on AMC's .
But more than a century after the final slaves were freed, too many still don't know why celebrating June 19 is important — and why America still has.