Twitter Lights Up In Celebration Of Juneteenth

African American communities are coming together today to celebrate the end of slavery in America.

Juneteenth goes back to June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger and his Union soldiers came to Texas with the news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free. This came just two and a half years after former President Lincoln signed into law the Emancipation Proclamation.

Also known as Freedom Day, Juneteenth is celebrated annually to commemorate this time in history.

Lots of people around the globe are pushing for Juneteenth to become a national holiday, considering we have Fourth of July.

Not only are groups holding events, but people are tweeting in solidarity.

Sarah Francis is a half-Palestinian journalism junkie, a proud Charlotte, NC native with an oversized sweet tooth, and an active world traveler. Ask her where she's headed next. (@Sarah_Francis25)