Juneteenth celebrated with fee-free entrance to Yosemite, Sequoia national parks

YOSEMITE, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Yosemite, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and nationalist parks crossed the state are offering fee-free entranceway connected Thursday successful grant of Juneteenth.

Juneteenth commemorates the day of June 19, 1865, the time Union soldiers arrived successful Galveston, Texas, to denote that each remaining slaves were free.

While the Emancipation Proclamation was signed connected Jan. 1, 1863, galore slaveholders did not effort to escaped those held successful bondage. It was lone aft subject involution that slaves successful states similar Texas learned of their freedom.

Juneteenth has been celebrated annually since 1865, but was officially signed into instrumentality arsenic a nationalist vacation successful 2021.