President Biden signs bill officially declaring Juneteenth a U.S. federal holiday

Juneteenth, or June 19th, is now recognized as a federal holiday. The holiday is also known as Emancipation Day, Black Independence Day, or Jubilee day.

On Tuesday the bill passed unanimously in the Senate, on Wednesday the House voted 415-14 in favor of the bill, and on Thursday President Biden signed the bill into law. Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of slaves in America. Union soldiers delivered the news of freedom to slaves in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, two months after the Union won the Civil War in April.

The last federal holiday created was Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. The first federal holiday laws were passed in 1870, these include New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Since the 19th falls on a Saturday, the US Office of Personnel Management announced the holiday will be observed on Friday, June 18th.

“Our federal holidays are purposely few in number and recognize the most important milestones,” said Democratic Representative Carolyn Maloney of New York. “I cannot think of a more important milestone to commemorate than the end of slavery in the United States.”

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ARTICLE: ANTOINETTE AHO

MANAGING EDITOR: CARSON CHOATE
PHOTO CREDITS: CNBC