From Freedom’s Eve to Watch Night, the rich history of emancipation celebrations. In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation, which abolished slavery in the states that had seceded during the civil war, though slavery was abolished nationwide when the 13th amendment was ratified on 6 December 1865.

Read more on https://www.theguardian.com/news/2025/jun/18/parties-and-proclamations-juneteenth-across-the-diaspora