The Importance of Recognizing and Celebrating Juneteenth

Juneteenth was installed as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, by the President of the United States, Joe Biden.  Each year, June 19th will be recognized as Juneteenth – Monday, June 19th, in 2023.

Why is Juneteenth important to recognize and celebrate?

Juneteenth is the American holiday where we celebrate the end of enslavement in the United States.  Only after nearly three years after former President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Texans finally received news of the end of the Civil War and the abolishment of enslavement on June 19, 1865, sparking what is now celebrated as Juneteenth. After Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender in April 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, in June to read General Order No. 3, which declared enslaved people’s freedom, according to Juneteenth.com. (What Is Juneteenth? Everything You Need To Know About America’s Newest National Holiday (forbes.com))

Juneteenth has actually been celebrated for many years – back to 1866 in Galveston, Texas with prayer gatherings and food.  As we continue to strive to educate ALL on the importance of recognizing and celebrating this important holiday, we still have work to do, as there are still 26 states that do not recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. (Where state workers have Juneteenth as a paid day off | Pew Research Center)

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