PHOTOS: DC region marks Juneteenth with festivals, marches

The Juneteenth holiday marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, found out they had been freed — after the end of the Civil war, and two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has grown in recognition beyond Black America.

See how the D.C. region is marking Juneteenth in 2023 below.

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Faith leaders hold a prayer beneath the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on Juneteenth, before a march to the White House. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

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The Rev. Stephen A. Green, chair of Faith for Black Lives, leads marchers across Washington, D.C.’s Constitution Avenue during a Juneteenth demonstration against gun violence and for reparations. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

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Faith leaders march on Juneteenth near the Washington Monument in D.C., calling for reparations. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

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Activists and faith leaders march along Washington, D.C.’s 17th Street on Juneteenth. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

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Faith leaders and activists rally outside the White House demanding reparations for Black Americans, after a Juneteenth march from the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. (WTOP/Alejandro Alvarez)

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A group of bicyclists head out on a bike ride from a Juneteenth health and wellness fair at Franklin Park in Washington, Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Asia Sangster, of Largo, Md., foreground, helps lead a workout class by FITDC as part of a Juneteenth health and wellness fair at Franklin Park in Washington, Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Jovan Jackson with PR Fitness Camp leads a workout class by FITDC as part of a Juneteenth health and wellness fair at Franklin Park in Washington, Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Jovan Jackson, foreground, with PR Fitness Camp leads a workout class by FITDC as part of a Juneteenth health and wellness fair at Franklin Park in Washington, Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Mekhi Thomas, right, and others participate in freestyle dancing at the end of a workout class held by FITDC as part of a Juneteenth health and wellness fair at Franklin Park in Washington, Monday, June 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

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Terrell Lomax-Russell (L) paints flowers on the face of Laurei Nelson-Queen, 10, during a neighborhood Juneteenth festival on June 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. Two years ago, President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

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An attendee adjusts his Juneteenth-themed hat during a neighborhood Juneteenth festival on June 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. Two years ago, President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

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Line dancers perform during a neighborhood Juneteenth festival on June 17, 2023 in Washington, DC. Two years ago, President Joe Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. (Photo by Nathan Howard/Getty Images)