With the Black Lives Matter movement coming to the forefront following George Floyd’s May 25 killing, today — Juneteenth — has a particularly special meaning.

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, with the news that the Civil War had ended and slaves were now free. However, it came 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

President Donald Trump had planned to hold a campaign rally today in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which sparked an uproar because of Tulsa’s history as the site of one of the worst incidents of racial violence in the nation’s history: the 1921 massacre of hundreds of African Americans who were attacked by a white mob.

That mob looted and burned many black-owned businesses in a prosperous neighborhood called the Greenwood District.

The president said he would delay the rally by a day.

Juneteenth is taking on more importance in many ways. The Associated Press reported that Tulsa teachers this fall will educate children about the Tulsa massacre. Also, Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced that he will propose making Juneteenth an official holiday in the southern state.

Juneteenth.com said many of the day’s traditions continue to this day, including fishing, rodeos, barbecues and baseball games. However, it noted Juneteenth usually focused on education and self-improvement.

Whatever the mode of celebration, Juneteenth represents African-American freedom and encourages continuing achievement.

And even though much progress has been made in society, it still has a long way to go in the march toward racial equality.

Juneteenth definitely is not the day to hold a rally in Tulsa, of all places. However, it is definitely a day to dwell on how people can better understand each other.