Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, the day enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free. Here's the history behind the holiday, and why it still resonates today.
It took 156 years for Juneteenth to become a federal holiday. On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making it the first new federal holiday since 1983. He also issued a proclamation marking the occasion:
"NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2021, as Juneteenth Day of Observance. I call upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of Black Americans, and commit together to eradicate systemic racism that still undermines our founding ideals and collective prosperity."

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