What is Juneteenth and how did it become a US holiday?

Juneteenth is a celebration of Black history and freedom whose celebration for years went relatively unnoticed by White Americans.

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It rose in prominence following 2020’s sweeping protests against racial injustice, when dozens of corporations moved to give their employees the day off.

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The New York Stock Exchange and the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association will observe Juneteenth as a market holiday beginning in 2022.

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1. What is Juneteenth? The holiday gets its name from June 19, 1865. That’s the day the Union army arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that all enslaved African-Americans in the state were free in accordance with President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

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2. What’s the historical significance of Juneteenth? As early as 1866, freed African-Americans in Texas held a celebration on the date to commemorate the end of slavery.

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3. Is Juneteenth an official holiday? Yes, on the state as well as federal level. In 1980, Texas was the first to designate it as an official state holiday.

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How did Juneteenth become a federal holiday? In June 2021, the Senate voted by unanimous consent to make Juneteenth the 11th annual national holiday

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