What is Juneteenth? Everything You Need to Know About this Federal Holiday

Today, Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, marking the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.

For years, Black Americans have celebrated the end of one of America’s darkest chapters with parades, street festivals, musical performances, and cookouts.

The government was hesitant to recognize the date; it wasn’t until 2021 that President Joe Biden signed legislation enacted by Congress making Juneteenth, or June 19th, a federal holiday.

And, as more people learn about Juneteenth, the holiday’s customs are encountering new challenges, including political rhetoric decrying efforts to educate Americans about the nation’s racial history and businesses utilizing the celebration as a marketing event.

Here’s a look at the history of Juneteenth, including how it became a federal holiday.

What is Juneteenth? The Story Behind the Holiday

Enslaved individuals in Galveston, Texas, started the celebrations. Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it could not be implemented in many parts of the South until the Civil War finished in 1865. Even at the time, some white people who had benefited from their unpaid work were hesitant to spread the word.

Laura Smalley, who was freed from a farm in Bellville, Texas, recalled in a 1941 interview that her “old master” returned from the Civil War without telling the people he enslaved what had transpired.

When Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his forces landed in Galveston on June 19, 1865, more than two months after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia, news that the war had finished and they were free finally reached the Gulf Coast city.

Granger delivered General Order No. 3, which said: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”

When Georgia ratified the 13th Amendment six months later, slavery was permanently abolished. The next year, the now-free inhabitants of Galveston began commemorating Juneteenth, a commemoration that has since persisted and extended throughout the world. Concerts, parades, and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation are among the events.

What does the term ‘Juneteenth’ mean?

It is a combination of the words June and nineteenth. Juneteenth Independence Day, Freedom Day, Second Independence Day, and Emancipation Day are all names given to the holiday.

It started with church picnics and speeches and spread as Black Texans relocated.

Most states currently recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or a day of recognition, similar to Flag Day. In Texas, New York, Virginia, Washington, and now Nevada, Juneteenth is a paid holiday for state employees. Hundreds of businesses give their employees the day off.

Opal Lee, a former teacher and activist, is largely responsible for mobilizing support for a push to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. The 96-year-old remembered celebrating Juneteenth as a child in East Texas with music, food, and games. In 2016, the “little old lady in tennis shoes” walked through her hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, and then through other towns until landing in Washington, D.C. Celebrities and politicians soon joined her in her cause.

Lee was among those present as Biden signed the Juneteenth Act into law.

How has Juneteenth evolved over the years?

The national awakening over race sparked by the 2020 police killing of George Floyd helped pave the way for Juneteenth to become the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day started.

Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., introduced the bill, which garnered 60 co-sponsors, demonstrating bipartisan support as lawmakers battled to resolve tensions that are still seething three years later.

There is already a movement to use the holiday for activism and education, with community service projects addressing racial disparities and educational panels on themes such as health care injustices and the need for parks and open spaces.

“In 1776 the country was freed from the British, but the people were not all free,” Dee Evans, national director of communications of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, said in 2019.

“June 19, 1865, was actually when the people and the entire country was actually free.”

There’s also sentiment to use the day to remember the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the United States — especially in these racially and politically charged days.

Businesses and Government Agencies Closed Today for Juneteenth

Today, June 19, towns across the country will commemorate Juneteenth National Independence Day, which will become a federal holiday in 2021 once President Joe Biden signs it into law. Despite being the country’s newest federal holiday, many Black Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth for years.

Like with most federal holidays, the U.S. Post Office will be closed. This will be the second time the post office ceases operations for Juneteenth since it had too short of a notice to observe the holiday in 2021.

Moreover, most banks are closed for the federal holiday, though ATMs and online banking will still be available. Major banks include:

  • Bank of America Corp.
  • JPMorgan Chase and Co.
  • Wells Fargo

Most federal government offices will be closed today. However, jurisdiction falls on cities and local governments on whether they’ll remain open.

On the other hand, U.S. stock markets will be closed today.

Generally, most businesses will remain open on Juneteenth. Here’s a list of a stores planning to operate normally.

  • Kroger
  • Walmart
  • Target
  • CVS
  • Walgreens

Costco will remain open today according to its website.