Federal agencies commemorate Juneteenth holiday

Today marked the second time the United States took a federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth. Federal agencies commemorated the day on social media.

Today marked the second time the United States took a federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth, which was made a federal holiday effective immediately last year. When President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, word didn’t immediately reach all those enslaved.  On June 19, 1965, Union soldiers delivered the news to a community of enslaved people living in Galveston, Texas, prompting celebrations and sparking an annual tradition in African-American communities around the country.  President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on June 17, 2021. Federal agencies used social media to share their commemorations of the day:

 

For more about Juneteenth from the census bureau, click here: https://www.census.gov/newsroom/stories/juneteenth.html?linkId=100000131061124

Copyright © 2024 Federal News Network. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Related Stories

    FILE - People attend Juneteenth celebrations in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, on June 19, 2021. Recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the U.S., gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. But after an initial burst of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official holiday in the states has largely stalled. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)

    Federal agencies commemorate Juneteenth holiday

    Read more
    FILE - People attend Juneteenth celebrations in the Harlem neighborhood of New York, on June 19, 2021. Recognition of Juneteenth, the effective end of slavery in the U.S., gained traction after the police killing of George Floyd in 2020. But after an initial burst of action, the movement to have it recognized as an official holiday in the states has largely stalled. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)

    Federal agencies commemorate Juneteenth holiday

    Read more