What is Juneteenth?

Friday marks the 55th anniversary of Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the abolishment of slavery that takes place every year on June 19.

The date refers not to the end of legal slavery in the United States but to the gap in time before everyone heard the news.

“It’s actually an important event, an important time. But nobody had ever heard of it,” President Trump said of Juneteenth this week in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Many schools don’t teach the history of Juneteenth and it is not recognized as a federal holiday.

However, Trump earned criticism for scheduling a campaign rally on the date. The rally had also been scheduled in Tulsa, Okla., a location associated with the Tulsa race massacre in 1921.

Trump later rescheduled the rally for the following day, June 20, saying “many” of his African American friends and supporters suggested his campaign change the date “out of respect for this holiday.”