Juneteenth Becomes Federal Holiday After Decades of Advocacy by Civil Rights Leaders
Washington, D.C. — June 19, 2023. President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time, designating June 19 as the 12th federal holiday in the United States. The legislation, passed by Congress with bipartisan support on June 16, 2023, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans following the arrival of Union troops in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. The White House ceremony was attended by Vice President Kamala Harris, members of Congress, and civil rights activists, including Opal Lee, a 94-year-old advocate who campaigned for the recognition for over four decades. The act grants federal employees a paid day off starting in 2022, with states expected to follow suit through local legislation. This marks the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983.