Former President Joe Biden is set to join a Juneteenth celebration at the historic Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Galveston, Texas, The Associated Press reported. His attendance was confirmed by a source familiar with the plans, though not authorized to speak publicly.
A Key Role in Juneteenth History
In 2021, Biden signed the law making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The day commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston and announced the end of slavery—more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Historic Church Hosts the Event
Thursday’s event will take place at Reedy Chapel AME Church, the oldest African Methodist Episcopal church still operating in Texas. It is one of the historic sites where the original freedom order was read to enslaved people in 1865.
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