What is Juneteenth and is it a federal holiday? – The Sun | The Sun
JUNETEENTH is a holiday celebrated on June 19 celebrating the day slaves in Texas were told they were free.
The federal holiday commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation back in 1865 marking the last day of slavery in the United States.
What is Juneteenth?
Enslaved African Americans in Texas didn't learn about the Emancipation Proclamation until two years after it had been passed.
The legislation had actually been issued nearly two and a half years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln.
Juneteenth is a portmanteau of June and 19.
The holiday is also called “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.”
It is observed across the US by all sates with Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota the last to sign a bill approving it as a legal holiday.
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Texas was the first state to make Juneteenth an official paid holiday for state employees.
Is Juneteenth a Federal Holiday?
In June 2021, President Joe Biden officially signed the legislation that marks Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
The bill passed through the US Senate, gaining unanimous approval on June 15, 2021, before it moved to Congress.
The House of Representatives then also passed the legislation the next day, establishing June 19 as a legal public holiday.
Biden officially signed the legislation on June 17, 2021.
Since June 19 falls on a Sunday this year, most federal employees will get either Friday, June 17, or Monday, June 20, off – to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation.
How is Juneteenth celebrated?
Juneteenth, considered the "Black Independence day," is celebrated much like the Fourth of July with gatherings, picnics, and parties with family and friends.
Some cities, like Atlanta and Washington, hold larger events, including parades and festivals with residents, local businesses and more.
In 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charles Baker declared that the day would officially be known as "Juneteenth Independence Day".
In 2020 Juneteenth was also recognized by New York City becoming an official annual city holiday and public school holiday.
The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, an association based in Mississippi, worked for years to get Juneteenth officiated as a national holiday.
There has been a noticeable increase in Juneteenth celebrations across the United States over the past few years.
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