BURSTJuneteenth, a more recent federal holiday, is dedicated to celebrating the freedom of formerly enslaved Black people. A culmination of events take place across the country on June 19 to commemorate the day in 1865 when the last slaves in Texas were notified of the Emancipation Proclamation, which marked an official end to the U.S. Civil War.
This year, the holiday falls on a Thursday.
Here’s all you need to know about the approaching celebration:
When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
Black communities have long celebrated the good news announced by Major Gen. Gordon Granger on June 19, 1865.
Juneteenth, however, did not become a federal holiday until June 17, 2021, when the designation was signed into law by former President Biden. During the ceremony, Biden was surrounded by prominent civil rights activists including Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Opal Lee.
Juneteenth was signed into law as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, by former President Biden. He was surrounded by civil rights activists including Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) and Opal Lee.
Lee is known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," after walking 2.5 miles each year to symbolize the two and a half years it took for news of the Emancipation Proclamation to reach Texas.
In 2016, at age 89, she walked from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., hoping to convince former President Obama to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday. Five years later, Biden completed the task and awarded Opal Lee with the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her advocacy work.
When was the first Juneteenth celebration?
The first Juneteenth celebration took place in 1866, one year after Granger’s order. Some referenced the holiday as “Jubilee Day” or “Freedom Day” and gathered in homes, parks and communities to celebrate.
The holiday was first listed on the calendar of public events in 1872 with the help of the government’s Freedmen’s Bureau agency for newly freed Black people.
Later that year, a group of Black organizers in Texas pooled together $1,000 for the purchase of 10 acres now known as Houston's Emancipation Park, where Juneteenth celebrations are hosted to date.
The Freedmen’s Bureau recently digitized its search portal for archives from 1865-1872 to allow family historians and genealogists to research the history of their ancestors in the United States.
What will be closed on Juneteenth?
On Juneteenth, the U.S. Postal Service, banks and the stock market will be closed.
Nonessential government employees will also be granted the day off from work.
How to celebrate Juneteenth?
Many people use the Juneteenth holiday as a time to reflect on the country’s past. Cities and states across the country typically host educational programming to inform individuals of the 250,000 Blacks who gained their freedom in honor of the holiday.
Celebrations may include readings of former president Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, cook outs, festivals and Miss Juneteenth contests across the country.
Some may also sing the Black national anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Biden is expected to attend a celebration Thursday at a historic African Methodist Episcopal church in Galveston, according to the Associated Press.
Updated June 18 at 2:25 p.m.