STORY: Juneteenth marks the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans.Long a regional holiday in the South, It became the newest U.S. federal holiday in 2021 under U.S. President Joe Biden.
:: June 17, 2021BIDEN: "This is a day, in my view, of profound weight and profound power…”:: June 1, 2020:: Minneapolis, MinnesotaIt rose in prominence after protests in 2020 over the police killings of Black Americans including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Rayshard Brooks.Here’s a look at its roots - and significance.:: What is Juneteenth?Juneteenth - which combines the words June and nineteenth - is also known as Emancipation Day.:: Galveston, Texas:: June 19, 2021It marks a the day in 1865 after the confederate states had surrendered to end the Civil War...when a Union general arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform a group of enslaved African Americans about their freedom under President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation.:: New YorkDozens of states and the District of Columbia legally recognize it as a holiday, and give state workers a paid day off.It’s in part a celebration, but Juneteenth is also observed solemnly… honoring those who suffered as a result of slavery in the U.S. over hundreds of years.After emancipation, the country imposed a draconian system of racial segregation.:: What is significant this year?According to the Pew Research Center, the states of Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada and Tennessee made Juneteenth a permanent public holiday in 2023.Alabama Governor Kay Ivey also authorized it as a state holiday this year by decree.Four years after tensions flared over the killing of Black Americans at the hands of police, race remains a sensitive issue. In Florida and other states, some conservatives are trying to change the way Black history is taught in public schools.Since last year’s Juneteenth, the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court ruled that universities can no longer consider race as a factor in student admissions.That decision ended affirmative action programs used by many U.S. schools to increase the number of Black, Hispanic and other students from underrepresented communities.:: How are people marking the day?Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris marked the day earlier in June with a concert at the White House that paid tribute to civil rights activists who were awarded the presidential Medal of Freedom.:: June 10, 2024:: Washington, D.C.HARRIS: "While Juneteenth is a day for celebration, it is also a day for dedication. A day to rededicate ourselves to the ongoing and unfinished work of our American experiment.":: Galveston, TexasU.S. government employees have the day off from work.So do workers at some private businesses.Traditionally, Juneteenth celebrations include parades, marches and barbecues.This year's holiday is expected to take place during a heat wave in some parts of the country so officials are advising people to be careful.Other events will strike a more somber tone, with organizers using the day to draw attention to today's racial inequities they say stem from the legacy of slavery and structural racism.