When is Juneteenth? Is it a federal holiday? What to know
The nation's youngest federal holiday is around the corner.
Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas when the last Black slaves of the Confederacy were ordered free following the arrival of Union troops.
The day, which rose to national prominence in 2020 amid nationwide protests for ongoing racial inequities in the justice system between Black people – specifically Breonna Taylor and George Floyd – and police, was officially recognized a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021.
Here's what to know about the holiday and what day it occurs.
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Juneteenth: Everything to know about the federal holiday
Juneteenth National Independence Day is on Thursday, June 19, this year, and is considered a federal holiday.
Juneteenth is considered a bank holiday, according to the Federal Reserve.
The United States Postal Service, schools, and most banks, like Wells Fargo, Citibank, Bank of America, Truist, and others, will also be closed on June 19.
Fact check: No, a George Floyd statue wasn't removed from the National Mall
The holiday commemorates the Emancipation Proclamation in the U.S. President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation to free enslaved African Americans in secessionist states on January 1, 1863, but enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, would not learn of their freedom until two years later.
On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed the community of Galveston of Lincoln's proclamation. Although enslaved people had been officially emancipated years prior, enslavers responsible for telling them ignored the order until Union troops arrived to enforce it, founder of Juneteenth.com Cliff Robinson earlier told USA TODAY. Texas was the last Confederate state to have the proclamation announced.
Though the story of Texas' emancipation is the most widely known, president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation Steve Williams previously told USA TODAY, other significant events in the history of emancipation took place on and around that date. He said the first known Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866 and spread across the country as African Americans migrated to new cities.
Juneteenth is a combination of "June" and "nineteenth," in honor of the day that Granger announced the abolition of slavery in Texas. The holiday is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.
Contributing: Natalie Neysa Alund, Julia Gomez, N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA TODAY
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