Juneteenth

Juneteenth, officially Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated each year on June 19 to remember the end of slavery in the United States. The holiday gets its name from the date, June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas after the American Civil War.

During the Civil War, slavery ended in different places at different times. By June 1865, most enslaved people had been freed by the Union Army or state laws. The Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was proposed in January 1865 to end slavery nationwide, and it was ratified in December 1865.

The first Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866 in Texas, with community gatherings focused on food, culture, and freedom. These celebrations spread across the South and later to the rest of the country. Juneteenth became less popular during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s but grew again in the 1970s as people celebrated African-American history and culture.

In 2021, Juneteenth was made an official federal holiday when the 117th U.S. Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. It was the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated not only in the United States but also by the Mascogos, descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped slavery and settled in Coahuila, Mexico.

Celebrations and traditions

Juneteenth is celebrated each year on June 19 as a special holiday in the United States. It marks the end of slavery and is often called the "longest-running African-American holiday" and "America's second Independence Day." People celebrate to honor this history, learn more about it, and keep the spirit of freedom alive.

Traditionally, people enjoyed activities like baseball, fishing, and rodeos. Since public places were not always open to everyone, celebrations often happened at churches or outdoors near water. Big meals and wearing nice clothes were important parts of the festivities. Many people made a trip to Galveston, Texas, where the news of freedom was first shared.

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated in many places with colorful events. People gather for picnics, rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, blues festivals, and special contests. Traditional songs like "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" and "Lift Every Voice and Sing" are sung, and stories by famous writers such as Ralph Ellison and Maya Angelou are read. Red foods and drinks, like red velvet cake and strawberry soda, are served to show strength and happiness. Celebrations also include learning about African-American culture, with lectures, exhibitions, and retelling important stories. Many people also enjoy soul food and barbecue together.

History

On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln said that the Emancipation Proclamation would start on January 1, 1863. It promised freedom for enslaved people in the Southern states of the Confederacy, including Texas. The Proclamation could only be enforced where Union troops went. Texas was far away and had few Union troops after the American Civil War ended, so it took a long time for the Proclamation to be enforced there.

On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Proclamation, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. He told all Texans that enslaved people were now free, following a Proclamation from the United States.

During the American Civil War (1861–1865), freedom came at different times in different parts of the Southern United States. When freedom finally came to Texas on June 19, 1865, people celebrated widely. Even though June 19 wasn’t the exact end of slavery, it became a day to remember when slavery ended during the war.

People in Galveston were very happy to hear they were free. A year later, on June 19, 1866, they started yearly celebrations. At first, these celebrations also helped newly freed African Americans learn about their voting rights. Other places celebrated freedom on January 1 or April 4.

In the early 1900s, celebrations of Juneteenth became less common. New laws made it hard for Black people to vote or have equal rights. The Great Depression also made it difficult for people to take time off to celebrate.

Interest in Juneteenth grew again. In the late 1970s, the Texas Legislature made Juneteenth a state holiday. In 1979, State Representative Al Edwards helped make it a paid holiday in Texas.

In 2021, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States. It is celebrated each year on June 19 to remember the end of slavery. The holiday’s name comes from “June” and “nineteenth,” referring to June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger announced that enslaved people in Texas were free.

The Juneteenth Flag

In 1997, an activist named Ben Haith created the Juneteenth flag, and an artist named Lisa Jeanne Graf helped design it. In 2000, the flag was first raised at Roxbury Heritage State Park in Boston. The star in the middle stands for the state of Texas and the spread of freedom. The burst around the star looks like a bright explosion in space, called a nova. The red curve stands for a new beginning. The colors red, white, and blue match the American flag, showing that everyone believes in freedom and fairness.

Legal observance

State and local holiday

Texas was the first state to make Juneteenth an official holiday in 1980. After that, many other states started to recognize this day too. By 2019, 47 states and the District of Columbia recognized Juneteenth in some way. Only Texas made it a paid holiday for state workers as of 2020.

Many cities and counties also celebrated Juneteenth. For example, New York City made it an official city holiday and closed schools. Cook County in Illinois gave its workers a paid holiday. Other places like Honolulu and Portland also recognized the day in different ways.

Federal holiday

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the United States. After many years of work by activists and lawmakers, the Senate passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 15, 2021. The House of Representatives approved it the next day.

President Joe Biden signed the bill on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth the eleventh federal holiday. Federal workers now get the day off each year on June 19. If June 19 falls on a weekend, workers get the nearest Friday or Monday off instead. Post offices, banks, stock markets, and many schools and businesses close for the holiday.

States and Juneteenth paid holiday

State or insular area	First official observance	Paid state holiday adopted
Alaska	2001	2024
California	2003	2022
Colorado	2004	2022
Connecticut	2003	2023
Delaware	2000	2021
District of Columbia	2003	2021
Georgia	2011	2022
Idaho	2001	2021
Illinois	2003	2021
Kentucky	2022	2024
Louisiana	2003	2021
Maine	2011	2021
Maryland	2014	2022
Massachusetts	2007	2022
Minnesota	1996	2023
Missouri	2003	2022
Nebraska	2009	2022
Nevada	2011	2022
New Jersey	2004	2020
New Mexico	2006	2022
New York	2004	2020
Ohio	2006	2021
Oregon	2001	2021
South Dakota	2021	2022
Tennessee	2007	2023
Texas	1938	1980
Utah	2016	2022
Vermont	2007	2024
Virginia	2007	2020
Washington	2007	2021