Juneteenth

Jeremiah (Student)                         

Juneteenth is a day to reflect on both bondage and freedom — a day of both pain and purpose. It is, in equal measure, a remembrance of both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation, as well as a celebration of the promise of a brighter morning to come. 

On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Texas were told they were free. A century and a half later, people across the U.S. continue to celebrate the day, which is now a federal holiday.

On June 17, 2021, U.S. President Joseph R. Biden signed into law the Juneteenth National Independence Act, which establishes June 19th as a federal holiday.