Celebrate Juneteenth by remembering the importance of knowing your rights

In all the world, nothing matters more than freedom. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, but only those who were aware of the law could claim their freedom. And the good news was a long time coming to many Americans laboring in the bonds of slavery.

On June 19, 1865, Gen. Gordon Granger arrived with Union soldiers in Galveston, Texas, and delivered the message of emancipation and liberation to those enslaved. For two and a half years, African Americans in Texas had remained enslaved, unaware of their liberty.