Juneteenth History | Juneteenth is Wednesday, June 19, 2024
by Mehrin Saleem '24, Student Services Diversity Assistant
On June 17, 2021, after nationwide protests led by Black Lives Matter (BLM) in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and many others, President Joe Biden signed a bill (S.475 of the 117th Congress), passed by both the House and the Senate, recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday. The bill amended Title 5 of the United States Code specifically “designating Juneteenth National Independence Day as a legal public holiday.” Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, S.475, Pub. L. No. 117-17, Stat. 287, 135 (2021).
Originating from Galveston, Texas in 1865, Juneteenth was observed on June 19th as a commemoration of ending slavery in the United States. On June 19th, 1865, two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston bearing the news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free. There remains some uncertainty as to the reason for such a delay in relaying this news, with some explanations including that the news was withheld to maintain the labor force on plantations or to reap the benefits of one more harvest before enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas.
Regardless of the speculation as to the reason for the delay, Juneteenth symbolizes freedom for the enslaved and celebrates the rich African American culture that has graced the nation.
