Celebrate Juneteenth and Black History

Residents across the state this weekend will be celebrating Juneteenth, which marks the ending of slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth commemorates the day when slaves, in the last place in America where slavery existed, learned of their freedom, according to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation.

That day was June 19, 1895, when Union General Gordon Granger, in Galveston, TX, announced that all slaves were free. The Emancipation Proclamation had been signed by President Lincoln on Sept. 22, 1862, but the news didn’t travel to southeast Texas until two and a half years later, according to the foundation.

Check out the events this weekend:

• Juneteenth
  The celebration is sponsored by the Juneteenth Museum and the National Park Service. From 2 to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 18, at the JuneteenthMuseum (2701 N. Charles St.) in Baltimore; free.

• This tour will include history about education in this school and the region, through changing exhibits and seminars. From 3 to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays at the Ellicott City Colored School (8683 Frederick Rd.) in Ellicott City; free.

• This living history event features an African dancer, a Q & A session and more. From 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 19, at the  in Columbia; free.

• 
  Learn about trains during the Civil War through live demonstrations and exhibitions. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekly on Saturdays, Sundays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at the  in Ellicott City; $2 to $4.

• This exhibit depicts the journey of African Americans from slavery to freedom and political representation in the U.S Capitol. Daily at the  in Catonsville; free.