After 1865, Juneteenth was mainly celebrated in Texas. Parks have been established on land bought by former slaves to hold Juneteenth celebrations in the Texan cities of Austin, Houston, and Mexia. Today, it is a federal holiday and a state holiday or observance in more than half of the...
In 1979, a bill was passed in Texas declaring Juneteenth as an official state holiday, which was made official on January 1, 1980. Eventually, other states began recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday, and by 2008 half of the states observed Juneteenth. On June 15, 2021, the Juneteenth...
Before Juneteenth became an official federal holiday, it was already observed as a state or ceremonial holiday in 48 U.S. states as well as D.C. For decades, Juneteenth was declared a state holiday only in Texas, but then Maine, New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia all passed laws in ...
That meant that most state offices, businesses, and other organizations remained open on this day. In 1980, it became established as a state holiday in Texas. Several states followed, but it still was not an official federal holiday. That changed onJune 17, 2021, when U.S. President Biden...
Lee, now 97, became known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" for her famous trek from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to ultimately deliver 1.5 million signatures to Congress advocating for a law to make the date a federal holiday. She shared her thoughts on the essence of Jun...
It was not until Jan. 1, 1980, however, that Juneteenth was designated an official state holiday in Texas. Through the efforts of Texas State Rep. Al Edwards, Juneteenth became the first emancipation celebration granted official state recognition. ...
the Senate passed it on June 15, 2021 [2]. The holiday, however, has a much longer history as it has been celebrated on June 19 in Texas and other parts of the country since 1866 after general Gordon Granger proclaimed freedom for slaves in Texas in 1965, the last state with slavery....
Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865. The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed theJuneteenth National Independence Day Actinto law. Juneteenth's comme...
Washington was already one of47 statesthat recognize Juneteenth as a holiday, but it was previously not a paid day off. Texas was the first state to officially recognize Juneteenth as a holiday in 1980; Washington did so in 2007.
Texas made Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980. Following international protests sparked by the May 2020 killing of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Juneteenth gained even wider recognition. Juneteenth celebrations include religious services, cookouts, parades, and festivals featuring music and...