Just two days after the president Joe Biden Officially declaring Juniteenth (June 19) a new national holiday, celebrities and politicians take a moment to honor the important date.
The holiday observes the end of slavery in the United States and marks the day June 19, 1865, when the major general of the Union Gordon Granger announced the news to black Americans in Galveston, Texas – which was two years later President Abraham LincolnDeclaration of emancipation from 1863.
“By making June thenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of that day and learn from our history, celebrate progress and grapple with the distance we have traveled.” [and] the distance we have to travel, “said the president on Thursday, June 17, during the signing ceremony at the White House.
“The truth is,” he continued, “it is just not enough to just remember June 10th. After all, the emancipation of enslaved black Americans was not the end of American efforts to deliver on the promise of equality. It was just the beginning. To honor the true meaning of Juneteenth, we must continue this advance because we have not got there yet. “
