(CNN)Juneteenth, the annual commemoration of emancipation that has been celebrated in the African American community since June 19, 1865, should be a national federal holiday… As the debate surges yet again over whether Juneteenth ought to become a federal holiday, I can’t help but think of my mother. Juneteenth, the traditional June 19 celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, will become a Massachusetts holiday under a bill passed by … Nevertheless, Juneteenth has been “passed down” through black communities ever since, Rooks said, and in 2020, at the height of a modern-day civil rights movement following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody, the holiday is seeing a renewed interest. The Senate currently has before it a bill that would designate Juneteenth to the calendar of federal holidays. 52,334, This story has been shared 52,138 times. However, you will find some great articles June 19 th, or Juneteenth, marks the day in 1865 when, ... Loudoun employees now have now holidays than federal employees. Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights. "[Juneteenth] is a holiday jubilee, and there is nothing wrong with after so many years, almost a 150-something years, for African Americans to say, 'OK, we can now celebrate with … In Washington, the most senior Republican in the Senate said on Thursday that he would introduce a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. newspaper archive. Federal holidays in the US act similarly to a bank holiday in the UK. June 18 June 18. Now, at this moment of … Google Maps: Woman stuck in painful position - how did this happen? Andrew Cuomo made a similar announcement Wednesday when he signed an executive order recognizing June 19 as a paid holiday for state employees and said he will propose legislation to make it a permanent state holiday down the line. See today's front and back pages, download the newspaper, Many schools don’t teach the history of Juneteenth and it is not recognized as a federal holiday. Juneteenth facts: What is the meaning of Juneteenth? Juneteenth is one of America’s oldest holidays and is observed each year on June 19 to mark the official end of slavery in the US. The Wisconsin lawmaker says it would just cost too much. But 47 states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation recognizing it as a holiday or observance. His 1865 proclamation freed every African-American in the slave state, and Texas adopted Juneteenth as a holiday 115 years later in 1980. The short answer is no.But if we consider recent events, Juneteenth could well be on its way to becoming one. “There were wire services, there were newspapers … the larger plantation owners were very wealthy and wealthy people have access to information,” the professor went on. Juneteenth is a step closer to becoming an official holiday in the City of Pittsburgh. Senators propose bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday Juneteenth is currently recognized by 47 states and the District of Columbia as a state holiday or observance. J.C. Penney told staffers Juneteenth will be considered an annual holiday for workers. Newly freed slaves celebrated emancipation with “prayer, feasting, song, and dance” and the following year, the first official Juneteenth celebration was born, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Spotify will make Juneteenth a paid holiday for all employees. "It's quite clear to me that the nation has rarely felt that black lives matter [and] whatever black people did or whatever happened to black people didn't really matter. Gov. Juneteenth is different from Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which focuses on service. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Stores, post offices, and other organizations and businesses are likely to be open as usual, but some may be closed or have restricted opening hours in some areas. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Your California Privacy Rights But moves to make Juneteenth a federal holiday have not been able to gain traction in Congress. Privacy Notice GOP Sen. Ron Johnson Blocks Bill To Make Juneteenth A Federal Holiday. Sitemap Make Juneteenth a federal holiday | Opinion; The call for Juneteenth to be a national holiday is worth supporting. Even those holidays only apply to federal employees and the District of Columbia, with states left to individually decide on their own legal holidays. The only four states yet to recognize Juneteenth as either a state or ceremonial holiday are Hawaii, North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. Juneteenth 2020: Juneteenth is on June 19 every year. Your Ad Choices Juneteenth is not a federal holiday but according to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, 45 states and the District of Columbia mark the day as a holiday or observance. Mastercard designated June 19 as a “Day of Solidarity” and urged workers to “pause and reflect” about all of the work left to do to “combat racism and discrimination.”, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Juneteenth will be. “They were brutal people but they were the ruling class in the United States. order back issues and use the historic Daily Express Introduced June 15, this year it has more than 200 co-sponsors — and that’s not all: she also plans this week to introduce a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Republican Sens. Molefi Kete Asante, chair of the Department of Africology and African American Studies at Temple University, said Juneteenth as a national celebration would be one for "all Americans". While regarded as one of the most significant victories and society-shifting events in US culture, Juneteenth is not a federal holiday. Lee, a 93-year old former educator and children’s book author, has been pushing for Juneteenth to be recognized as a federal holiday for years. Bloomsday celebrations: What is Bloomsday? Juneteenth is not a federal holiday, yet it’s recognized by Pennsylvania and 46 others states (along with the District of Columbia) as either a state holiday or observance. Stand with Americans to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday within our federal government. Following Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s reluctant surrender at Appomattox, Virginia, to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, Granger was able to finally make his way to Galveston to enact Lincoln’s proclamation and free the last remaining victims of chattel slavery in the US.