Juneteenth Fast Facts

U.S. President Joe Biden recently signed the Juneteenth Bill, which established Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Juneteenth National Independence Day is the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day (1983).

U.S. President Joe Biden holds the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act during a signing ceremony (Courtesy of Reuters)

Following the signing event in the White House, Vice President Kamala Harris stated, "We have come far, and we have far to go. But today is a day of celebration." Biden addressed a crowd of activists, politicians, and social leaders to elaborate upon the significance of the bill: "Great nations don’t ignore their most painful moments. They embrace them. In short, this day doesn’t just celebrate the past. It calls for action today."

Here are some fast facts about Juneteenth:

• Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans.

• Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day.

• Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862 (went into affect on January 1, 1863). Yet, slaves were not free in the Confederacy until the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 18, 1865. The following day, June 19th, Gen. Gordon Granger delivered General Order No.3, officially ending slavery in the state.

Here are other great sources you could look at to learn more about Juneteenth:

• The New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/article/juneteenth-day-celebration.html

• CNBC: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/15/what-is-juneteenth-holidays-history-explained.html

• USA Today: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2020/06/13/what-juneteenth-holiday-celebrates-end-slavery-us/5333204002/

• NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007315228/juneteenth-what-is-origin-observation

• AL.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3aQjTy328o

• Vox: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FX-Iisvrj8

Happy Juneteenth everyone! Let us rejoice, reflect, and celebrate our achievements throughout history!