On September 22, 1862, Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Under his wartime authority as commander-in-chief, he ordered that as of January 1, 1863, enslaved individuals in all areas still in rebellion against the United States “henceforward shall be free.”

The legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of deep hope and urgent organizing in uncertain times. Watch as the Museum's Founding Director Lonnie Bunch III leads a tour through our Slavery and Freedom exhibition to celebrate Juneteenth.

This miniature album exhibits the uneasy yet special bonds between black soldiers and white officers in the United States Colored Troops (USCT) during the Civil War.