Originally celebrated by newly freed Black communities in Texas with religious services, barbecues and symbolic traditions like discarding clothing worn during enslavement, the holiday has since grown beyond Texas and the South.

Abraham Lincoln was an American hero — but a flawed one. As we approach Juneteenth, let's also acknowledge some ugly truths that reflect the times in which

America's Second Independence Day is coming soon. So, what is Juneteenth? And why is it celebrated? Here's what to know.

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day or the Second Independence Day, celebrates Black freedom in the United States.

The African American Advisory Board with the Jacksonville mayor’s office is holding a celebration for Juneteenth on Tuesday.

Juneteenth Tasting Event, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Findlay Market, 1801 Race St., Over-the-Rhine. Celebrate the cuisine of the market’s Black-owned businesses. $40 for 18 samples, $20 for 8 samples. Findlaymarket.org.

In Denver, for example, more than a dozen companies backed out of supporting the Juneteenth Music Festival, which is one of the city’s biggest celebrations of the holiday, according to Norman Harris, executive director of JMF Corporation, which puts on the event.