Auburn will close on Thursday to observe Juneteenth

Auburn University will be closed on Thursday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth, which is recognized as an official holiday for employees.

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the emancipation of all enslaved people — more than 2 1/2 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. It is the nation’s oldest known tradition honoring the end of slavery and celebrating Black freedom.

Texas became the first state to officially recognize Juneteenth as a holiday in 1980.