The statue of Albert Pike, a Confederate general and Freemason leader, was vandalized and taken down on Juneteenth in 2020.

Jasmine Kingi, left, 26, and Robin Renee Green, 26, both from Los Angeles, celebrate as they take part in a car parade to mark Juneteenth in Inglewood, Calif, June 19, 2021.

In honor of Juneteenth, we're telling stories of what Black freedom means today, from a 94-year-old's quest for a national holiday to the fight for reparations to cultural celebrations.

Juneteenth is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery. It marks the day in 1865 when slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned that President Abraham Lincoln had freed them.

A version of this article appears in print on July 6, 2025, Section ST, Page 10 of the New York edition with the headline: Juneteenth as a Celebration of Black Love.