06/19/2026
Today we pause to honor Juneteenth and the people at the heart of it.
The men in this photograph are United States Colored Troops--Black Union soldiers who played a central, and often overlooked, role in making Juneteenth possible. When Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, to deliver the news of emancipation, thousands of these soldiers were already there. Many had escaped slavery themselves. They put on a uniform, fought for a country that had not yet fully recognized their humanity, and helped carry freedom to 250,000 enslaved people in Texas.
They are rightly called the Fathers of Juneteenth.
Here in Cincinnati, that spirit of freedom has deep roots. The Ohio River was once the literal dividing line between bo***ge and freedom. Thousands crossed those waters seeking a new life, and this city became a refuge along the way.
Today we honor that history. Happy Juneteenth, from our family to yours.
