It's Official: Juneteenth is Now A Federal Holiday
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Posted By: Kennedy Williams on June 18, 2021 Yesterday, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth (June 19th) an official federal holiday. Juneteenth commemorates the announcement of the end of slavery on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, two years after President Abraham Lincoln's 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. Only a few states currently recognize the day as a paid holiday. “Juneteenth marks both a long, hard night of slavery and a promise of a brighter morning to come,” Biden said. “This is a day of profound wait and profound power. A day which you’ll remember the moral stain, the terrible toll that slavery took on the country and continues to take. What I’ve long called America’s original sin.” Following the death of George Floyd and the increase in racial tension in this country over the past year, the push to make Juneteenth a national holiday gained momentum and ultimately helped the bill pass the House on Wednesday with a 415-14 vote after the Senate unanimously passed the legislation the day before. “Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments,” he added. “They don’t ignore those moments in the past. They embrace them. Great nations don’t walk away. We come to terms with the mistakes we made. And remembering those moments, we begin to heal and grow stronger.” Are you guys excited about this new holiday? Did you all get today off? Let us know in the comments! SOURCE: CNN If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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Kennedy Williams
From Loganville, GA Spelman College class of 2020 Member Since July 2016 |
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