Celebrating Juneteenth 2023

The Seattle Housing Authority recognizes the struggles of enslaved African Americans and those who fought to end enslavement. We celebrate their strength and resilience, acknowledging how far we have come and how far we have yet to go. SHA is committed to working actively to advance race and social justice equity — for those we serve, our colleagues and the greater community.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally recognized commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of slavery in America. The news came two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, which had officially freed enslaved people. Since then, Juneteenth celebrations have spread across the nation.  