A History Of Today's Juneteenth Federal Holiday Celebrating The End Of Slavery In United States
Juneteenth: The History of a Holiday
On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. A century and a half later, people across the United States continue to celebrate the day, which is now a federal holiday.
The Washington Post adds:
... In 2021, President Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act marking June 19 as a federal holiday amid nationwide racial justice demonstrations that swept through the country after the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.
Because it is a federal and bank holiday, nonessential federal offices will be closed, including post offices, and commercial banks may be closed or have modified hours. It is also a U.S. stock market holiday.
The measure received overwhelming bipartisan support in Congress, with only 14 House Republicans voting against it. Opponents of the bill called it an attempt to celebrate identity politics and to remake the country’s ideology with critical race theory, which examines the way policies and laws perpetuate systemic racism, at its center.
Establishing Juneteenth as a holiday, Biden said in his remarks, will be “one of the greatest honors” of his presidency....
NYC Mayor Eric Adams tweets:
#Juneteenth is a day to celebrate how far we've come and recommit to finishing the long march to justice for Black Americans.
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) June 19, 2023
It's a story that began with broken chains and will continue until we break them all. pic.twitter.com/VDYLUYXZZo
Roosevelt Island Operating Corp (RIOC) President Shelton Haynes and Communications VP Akeem Jamal attended a Juneteenth Celebration with Mayor Adams.
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