The homegrown holiday’s Southern beginnings have evolved into a day of recognition for freedom and legacy in African American communities.

READ MORE: Celebrating Juneteenth is more important now than ever in Trump’s America

On June 19, 1865, the enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation two-and-a-half years after former President Abraham Lincoln signed the historical act.

#APeoplesJourney #ANationsStory 📸: Grace Murray Stephenson and family, Juneteenth Emancipation Day Celebration, June 19, 1900, Texas, Courtesy Austin History Center.

In 1980, the state of Texas became the first to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday.

As corporations continue recent abrupt changes in efforts to create equal work environments, Juneteenth has been named an official paid holiday at the offices of Twitter, Nike, the NFL, and The New York Times, among several who made the information public via social media.