What's Juneteenth? Here's what you need to know about the country's newest federal holiday

Dylan Johnson, The Daily American
·2 min read
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The newest federal holiday, Juneteenth, will be observed Monday. Here's what you need to know about the holiday and its history.

What is Juneteenth?

President Joe Biden signed legislation in 2021 that made June 19 a federal holiday.

Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, it took more than two years for word to reach Galveston, Texas.

Major General Gordon Granger reached Galveston on June 19, 1865, and now we celebrate June 19 157 years later.

This is the original 1865 proclamation that was read out to the people of Galveston on June 19. "The people are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves."

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What is closed on Juneteenth?

All federal offices will be closed on June 20 in observance of Juneteenth, which falls on a Sunday this year.

Most banks, universities, state offices, the post office, the Department of Motor Vehicles driver centers, the Daily American and others will be closed.

'Juneteenth' by Amiri Farris
'Juneteenth' by Amiri Farris

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When was the last time a holiday was added?

Before Juneteenth, the last federal holiday to be enacted was Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

President Ronald Reagan signed legislation proclaiming the third Monday in January as a holiday starting in 1983.

Some don't even think "holiday" or "celebration" is the right word for Juneteenth. It's an observance — which means that, like a church service, a certain amount of respect is in order.

"This is not a holiday," said Steven Williams, president of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. "The fourth of July is a holiday. This is a way of thought."

Jim Beckerman, NorthJersey.com, contributed to this report.

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This article originally appeared on The Daily American: What's Juneteenth? Here's a look at the new US federal holiday