Today is Juneteenth. When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday? Why do we celebrate?
Today is Juneteenth. The holiday marking the official end of slavery is celebrated annually on June 19, but only became recognized as a federal holiday a few years ago.
Here's what to know.
Yes. It's the youngest federal holiday and rose to prominence in 2020.
Texas became the first U.S. state to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday in 1980. After more than a million signatures were collected to make it a federally-recognized holiday; President Joe Biden declared it so in 2021.
More Juneteenth news: Could Trump end Juneteenth as a federal holiday? The short answer: Not on his own
Story continues after photo gallery.
For 2025, Juneteenth falls on Thursday, June 19. Regardless of the day of the week, Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 annually.
Juneteenth – also called Emancipation Day, Freedom Day or Jubilee Day – commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, received news that they were free, two years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
Like all federal holidays, banks, the post office and public libraries will not be open Juneteenth.
More Juneteenth news: What's closed in Kentucky on Juneteenth? Is it a federal holiday?
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday?
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