Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom for African Americans.
The first Juneteenth was celebrated on June 19, 1865, after Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the enslaved African Americans they were free. Although enslaved African Americans were freed under the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, the executive order wasn't acknowledged in parts of the Confederate South and many slaveholders fled deeper south.
Now, 157 years later, African Americans across the country celebrate with potlucks, cookouts, family meals, and neighborhood gatherings that foster community.
"Few things build community as well as food," culinary historian Adrian Miller told Insider. "And when it comes to emancipation celebrations, those weren't really celebrated at home. They were public events."
Ahead of Juneteenth, I made Aunt TC's potato salad recipe shared by Kardea Brown, a Southern cook of Gullah-Geechee descent and the host of Food Network's "Delicious Miss Brown." The recipe took less than an hour to make, used everyday ingredients, and will complete any potluck.