Dozens of area residents gathered at Houston Avery Park Friday, June 19, to observe Juneteenth (short for June Nineteenth), which marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. Juneteenth honors the end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday. Above, a number of attendees are shown at the event which featured several speakers.