On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger — who had fought for the Union — arrived at Galveston, Texas, with nearly 2,000 troops to announce that theGranger's announcement came about two months after the ending of the Civil War and nearly three years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
During his visit, Granger issued General Order No. 3, informing the people of Texas that those who were enslaved were now free,. Juneteenth gets its name by combining both"June" and"nineteenth," the day that Granger arrived in Galveston with his announcement. "The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor," the order reads, in part.
Over the course of the last two years, large brands and companies have become noticeably more inclusive. A number of major brands have featured more Black and other minorities in their ads and marketing materials as a way to take a stand against racism.