Why Juneteenth is important?

Juneteenth commemorates when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas, in 1865, two months after the Confederacy had surrendered in the Civil War and about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in Southern states..

Can you say happy Juneteenth?

Just say ‘Happy Juneteenth! ‘ The easiest way to wish someone a Happy Juneteenth is by messaging them and wishing them a fulfilled day. Similar to Black History Month, and other important anniversaries to Black Americans, it is important to acknowledge it as an American holiday, even if you do not celebrate it.

What states do not have Juneteenth holidays?

Most states where Juneteenth is a legal state holiday have added it to their calendars fairly recently. In fact, all but one of them added it as an official holiday in 2020 or later. The exception is Texas, where the holiday originated and where it is also known as Emancipation Day.

What year did slavery end?

The House Joint Resolution proposing the 13th amendment to the Constitution, January 31, 1865; Enrolled Acts and Resolutions of Congress, 1789-1999; General Records of the United States Government; Record Group 11; National Archives.

Is Juneteenth real?

Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States. Legislation establishing the holiday was passed by Congress on June 16, 2021, and signed into law by U.S. President Joe Biden the following day.

WHO removes Juneteenth?

Texas became the first state in the country to make Juneteenth a paid day off in 1980. When Mr. Biden signed the holiday into federal law on June 17, 2021, eight other states had already made it a paid holiday. They included New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, and Massachusetts.

WHO recognizes Juneteenth?

At least six states officially adopted the holiday over the past few months, including Connecticut, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, South Dakota, Utah and Washington.

What’s wrong with Juneteenth?

Juneteenth does not represent the end of slavery in America, as it is often erroneously reported. It specifically notes the end of slavery in Texas. Slavery continued to thrive in several border states that were not affected by the Emancipation Proclamation.

Is there a symbol for Juneteenth? That banner with a bursting star in the middle is the Juneteenth Flag, a symbolic representation of the end of slavery in the United States. The flag is the brainchild of activist Ben Haith, founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF).

Who has Juneteenth off?

Texas became the first state in the country to make Juneteenth a paid day off in 1980. When Mr. Biden signed the holiday into federal law on June 17, 2021, eight other states had already made it a paid holiday. They included New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Virginia, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, and Massachusetts.

What does the Juneteenth flag look like?

The original Juneteenth flag was designed in 1997 by Ben Haith, activist and founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation. The flag has a blue and red stripe, a white star in the middle, an outline and an arc that extends across the width of the flag.

Do all states observe Juneteenth?

When President Joe Biden signed the holiday into federal law June 17, 2021, only a handful of states had Juneteenth holidays with paid time off for state employees: Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington.

How do we celebrate Juneteenth?

In what ways do people celebrate Juneteenth? People celebrate in different ways. There are parades, music festivals, political events, pageants and parties. In many ways these celebrations are no different than the multi-faceted affair that Emancipation Days were in the mid-to-late 19th century.

Where is Juneteenth celebrated?

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 the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

How old is the Juneteenth flag? The Juneteenth flag was created in 1997.

The first flag that represented the holiday was created in 1997 by Ben Haith, the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation (NJCF).

Do I get off work on Juneteenth? Day in 1983 — making it the 12th legal public holiday in the U.S. Federal employers are mandated to provide Juneteenth off to their employees as a paid holiday, while private companies can choose whether or not they’ll observe it.

When did Juneteenth become a U.S. holiday? Why was Juneteenth made a federal holiday? The national reckoning over race helped set the stage for Juneteenth to become the first new federal holiday since 1983, when Martin Luther King Jr.

When was slavery abolished?

Passed by Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified on December 6, 1865, the 13th amendment abolished slavery in the United States and provides that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or

Is Juneteenth a holiday for everyone?

“It is a national holiday for all Americans, not just Black people.” Elevating Juneteenth to a federal holiday gives supporters and historians more platforms to share its significance, said Frank Smith, director of the African American Civil War Museum in Washington which has hosted Juneteenth events for a decade.

Who invented slavery?

Sumer or Sumeria is still thought to be the birthplace of slavery, which grew out of Sumer into Greece and other parts of ancient Mesopotamia. The Ancient East, specifically China and India, didn’t adopt the practice of slavery until much later, as late as the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC.

Who started slavery in Africa?

Slavery in northern Africa dates back to ancient Egypt. The New Kingdom (1558–1080 BC) brought in large numbers of slaves as prisoners of war up the Nile valley and used them for domestic and supervised labour. Ptolemaic Egypt (305 BC–30 BC) used both land and sea routes to bring slaves in.

Who ended slavery first?

It was the first country to do so. The next year, Haiti published its first constitution. Article 2 stated: “Slavery is forever abolished.” By abolishing slavery in its entirety, Haiti also abolished the slave trade, unlike the two-step approach of the European nations and the United States.

Do we get Monday off for Juneteenth?

As Juneteenth falls on a Sunday this year, the holiday is being celebrated on the Friday before or Monday after.

Does mail run on Juneteenth?

The short answer is no. U.S. Post offices will be closed and mail will not run on Monday, June 20, when Juneteenth will be observed this year. The holiday, officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, actually falls on Sunday.

Who freed the slaves? President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.”