Juneteenth Passes House & Senate to Become a National Holiday

Juneteenth is a day which commemorates the end to slavery and celebrates Black and African American freedom and achievements, while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.

I first learned about Juneteenth in 2013, when my group fitness program Hustle for Health was asked to walk in the parade and perform with DJ Maestro in Buffalo, NY.  But back in my hometown of Detroit, we never learned about ‘Emancipation Day’ nor the history behind it.

Thankfully, there was a big shift in the US Government today that ensures that every American will get the chance to learn about and celebrates it significance.

On Tuesday and Wednesday the US Senate and House respectively voted to pass a bill that would recognize June 19th as “National Independence Day”, making it a Federal Holiday.

President Biden is set to sign it into law when he gets back from Europe.

The push to recognize Juneteenth reach new heights during the Black Lives Matter movement, following the death of George Floyd in June 2020.

Many African Americans elected to celebrate June 19, instead of July 4 amid tense racial and civil unrest caused by police brutality and inequity during the pandemic.

On October 14 2020, Gov. Cuomo formally recognized Juneteenth as a public holiday in the State of New York by signing legislation S.8598/A.10628. He also issued an executive order designating Juneteenth as a holiday for State Employees.

Nike, Mastercard, Target, Twitter, and Uber are some of the big businesses that have also made Juneteenth a paid holiday.

Why June 19th?

Besides being the perfect end to the #Bestweekever which includes the birthdates of Ice Cube 6/15, Tupac 6/16, Kendrick Lamar 6/17 and Jazzy T 6/18

June 19 1865 is the day Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, with 2,000 Union troops to announce that “all slaves are free” under the Emancipation Proclamation. If you remember history, President Abraham Lincoln’s proclamation actually went into effect 18 months earlier, on Jan. 1, 1863.

However Black slaves in America were not made aware of their freedom, and remained enslaved throughout the Civil War.

Creation of a new federal holiday is likely to encourage private, state, and local recognition of Juneteenth across the United States.

“Designating June 19 as a national holiday would increase awareness of education on Juneteenth, it would celebrate black history and culture, it would recognize the Americans who fought and died to end slavery,” Republican Rep. Guy Reschenthaler of Pennsylvania said on the House floor Wednesday.

 

When President Biden signs the Bill, Juneteenth will become the Nation’s 11th legal public Holiday.

New Year’s Day, the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., Washington’s Birthday (commonly called President’s Day), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.

However this could soon drop back down to 10, as the push to abolish Columbus day gains momentum every year…. Stay Tuned.