As a historian, I always remind people that General Order No. 3, which Juneteenth celebrates, was necessary to enforce freedom and instruct white enslavers that they could no longer hold people as property. The US Army arrived in Texas armed and ready to enforce that freedom. What we’re celebrating is the lawful commitment to end slavery.

Source: https://news.ucsb.edu/2024/021519/juneteenth-reparations-ongoing-journey-racial-justice