Juneteenth Commemoration

U.S. markets are closed today in honor of Juneteenth National Independence Day. 

Also called the “Second Independence Day”, Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas. The Union Army arrived more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the executive order, freeing the remaining enslaved Black Americans in the state. 

Slavery was not made federally illegal until December of that year, when the Thirteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution was ratified. But even at the time, Juneteenth was seen as a crucial tipping point, with the holiday being observed as early as 1866. 

Celebrations first began in African-American churches in Texas. But in the century and a half since, Juneteenth has been widely embraced as a day to honor the Black community and American freedom as a whole. It was officially made a federal holiday in 2021.

Griffin Asset Management is proud to celebrate Juneteenth as a company. As we mark this historic occasion, we recommit to values that strengthen both our communities and the clients we serve.