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101-683: Juneteenth , officially Juneteenth National Independence Day , is a federal holiday in the United States . It is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the ending of slavery in the United States. The holiday's name is a portmanteau of the words "June" and "nineteenth", as it was on June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger ordered the final enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation in Texas at

202-634: A Juneteenth -themed animation on its home page , set to a spoken word rendition of the hymn's first verse by LeVar Burton . In 2021, Vanessa Williams sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on the PBS Independence Day special A Capitol Fourth , commemorating the recognition of Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The hymn also began to be incorporated into sporting events: during NASCAR 's 2020 Pocono 350 , musicians Mike Phillips and West Byrd quoted "Lift Every Voice and Sing" as part of their rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner", while

303-472: A cause célèbre for what protesters considered brutal policing of the Black community: it was sung during demonstrations and other events which were held in solidarity. Presidential candidate Joe Biden referenced the hymn in his action plan for addressing perceived racial disparities in the United States, which was titled "Lift Every Voice: The Biden Plan for Black America". On June 19, 2020, Google featured

404-519: A "holiday of significance ... particularly to the blacks of Texas," it became the first state to establish Juneteenth as a state holiday. The bill passed through the Texas Legislature in 1979 and was officially made a state holiday on January 1, 1980. Before 2000, three more U.S. states officially observed the day, and over the next two decades it was recognized as an official observance in all states, except South Dakota , until becoming

505-473: A Monday, and also established Columbus Day . In 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed the bill that created Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day . It was first observed three years later, although some states resisted making it a state holiday. It was finally celebrated both nationally and by each of the states in 2000. Dr. King's birthday is January 15th. On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed

606-560: A Thanksgiving proclamation designating November 26, 1789 as a day of "public thanksgiving and prayer" for the "People of the United States”. Thanksgiving has been proclaimed in the U.S. for various months and days of the week, including March, August, September, November, December, and on Sundays. Celebrated on December 25 around the world, Christmas is the day that Christians remember the birth and incarnation of Jesus Christ . Christmas has been celebrated for over 2,000 years. In

707-516: A day of remembrance and action and a paid holiday for city employees). North Dakota approved recognition of Juneteenth as a state-recognized annual holiday on April 13, 2021, with Hawaii becoming the 49th state to recognize the holiday on June 16, 2021. On June 16, 2020, South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem proclaimed that the following June 19, 2020, was to be Juneteenth Day for that year only, spurning calls for it to be recognized annually, rather than just for 2020. In February 2022, South Dakota became

808-661: A day of shared commemoration across the United States ;– created, preserved, and spread by ordinary African Americans – of slavery's wartime demise. Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in the midst of the Civil War on September 22, 1862, declaring that if the rebels did not end the fighting and rejoin the Union, all enslaved people in the Confederacy would be freed on

909-660: A federal holiday in 1879. In 1888 and 1894, respectively, Decoration Day (now Memorial Day ) and Labor Day were created. Armistice Day was established in 1938 to honor the end of World War I , and the scope of the holiday was expanded to honor Americans who fought in World War II and the Korean War when it was renamed Veterans Day in 1954. In 1968, the Uniform Monday Holiday Act gave several holidays "floating" dates so that they always fall on

1010-554: A federal holiday, leading walks in many states to promote the idea. In 2016–17 at the age of 89, she led a symbolic walk from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington D.C. to advocate for the federal holiday. When it was officially made a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, she was standing beside President Joe Biden as he signed the bill. Juneteenth became one of five date-specific federal holidays along with New Year's Day (January 1), Independence Day (July 4), Veterans Day (November 11), and Christmas Day (December 25). Juneteenth

1111-964: A federal holiday. Since the 1980s and 1990s, the holiday has been more widely celebrated among African-American communities and has seen increasing mainstream attention in the US. In 1991, there was an exhibition by the Anacostia Community Museum (part of the Smithsonian Institution ) called "Juneteenth '91, Freedom Revisited." In 1994, a group of community leaders gathered at Christian Unity Baptist Church in New Orleans to work for greater national celebration of Juneteenth. Expatriates have celebrated it in cities abroad, such as Paris. Some US military bases in other countries sponsor celebrations, in addition to those of private groups. In 1999, Ralph Ellison 's novel Juneteenth

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1212-693: A festival and reunion, known as el Día de los Negros on June 19. Many former British colonies celebrate Emancipation Day on August 1, commemorating the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 . Since 2021, the United Nations has designated August 31 as the International Day for People of African Descent. On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln announced that the Emancipation Proclamation would go into effect on January 1, 1863, promising freedom to enslaved people in all of

1313-607: A group of 500 students in 1900. His brother J. Rosamond Johnson would later set the poem to music. After the Great Fire of 1901 , the Johnsons moved to New York City to pursue a career on Broadway . In the years that followed, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was sung within Black communities; Johnson wrote that "the school children of Jacksonville kept singing it; they went off to other schools and sang it; they became teachers and taught it to other children. Within twenty years it

1414-495: A law changing its ceremonial holiday to a paid state holiday. Some cities and counties have also recognized Juneteenth through proclamation. In 2020, Juneteenth was formally recognized by New York City (as an annual official city holiday and public school holiday, starting in 2021). Cook County, Illinois , adopted an ordinance to make Juneteenth a paid county holiday. The City and County of Honolulu recognizes it as an "annual day of honor and reflection", and Portland, Oregon (as

1515-616: A lyric from the hymn as part of his performance of the U.S. national anthem before the Muhammad Ali vs. Chuck Wepner boxing match. In 1990, singer Melba Moore released a modern rendition of the hymn, which she recorded with the assistance of other singers, including R&B artists Stephanie Mills , Freddie Jackson , Anita Baker , Dionne Warwick , Bobby Brown , Stevie Wonder , Jeffrey Osborne , and Howard Hewett ; and gospel artists BeBe & CeCe Winans , Take 6 , and The Clark Sisters , after which, "Lift Every Voice and Sing"

1616-734: A message of unity. On April 14, 2018, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was sung by Beyoncé during her headlining performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival . In May 2018, the Tabernacle Choir performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" during an edition of Music & the Spoken Word attended by members of the NAACP, who were in Salt Lake City for a national leadership meeting. The song

1717-503: A paid holiday, including New York, Washington, and Virginia. In 2020, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker issued a proclamation that the day would be marked as "Juneteenth Independence Day." This followed the filing of bills by both the House and Senate to make Juneteenth a state holiday. Baker did not comment on these bills specifically but promised to grant the observance of Juneteenth greater importance. On June 16, 2021, Illinois adopted

1818-627: A quadrennial presidential election , is considered a paid holiday for federal employees in the Washington, D.C., area by the Office of Personnel Management . It is not considered a federal holiday in the United States equivalent to the eleven holidays mentioned above. Although many states recognize most or all federal holidays as state holidays, the federal government cannot enact laws to compel them to do so. States can recognize other days as state holidays that are not federal holidays. For example,

1919-571: A result, observations of the holiday declined again, though it was still celebrated in Texas. Juneteenth soon saw a revival as Black people began tying their struggle to that of ending slavery. In Atlanta , some campaigners for equality wore Juneteenth buttons. During the 1968 Poor People's Campaign to Washington, DC , called by Rev. Ralph Abernathy , the Southern Christian Leadership Conference made June 19

2020-614: A sense of heritage and pride in black youth." Celebrations are commonly accompanied by voter registration efforts , the performing of plays, and retelling stories. The holiday is also a celebration of soul food and other food with African-American influences. In Tourism Review International , Anne Donovan and Karen DeBres write that " Barbecue is the centerpiece of most Juneteenth celebrations." Major news networks host specials and marathons on national outlets featuring prominent Black voices. The Black Seminoles of Nacimiento in Mexico hold

2121-535: A union contract, might only receive their standard pay for working on a federal holiday, depending on the company policy. Federal law also provides for the declaration of other public holidays by the President of the United States . Generally the president will provide a reasoning behind the elevation of the day, and call on the people of the United States to observe the day "with appropriate ceremonies and activities." Examples of presidentially declared holidays were

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2222-441: A way that with tears has been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past, 'Til now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast. God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from

2323-400: Is Texas Independence Day , and "optional holidays", such as Good Friday . Private employers are not required to observe federal or state holidays, the key exception being federally-chartered banks. Some private employers, often by a union contract, pay a differential such as time-and-a-half or double-time to employees who work on some federal holidays. Employees not specifically covered by

2424-472: Is a large employer, the holidays are expensive. If a holiday is controversial, opposition will generally prevent bills enacting them from passing. For example, Martin Luther King Jr. Day , marking King's birthday, took much effort to pass and for all states to recognize it. It was not until 2000 that this holiday was officially observed in all 50 states. The following list is an example of holidays that have been proposed and reasons why they are not observed at

2525-560: Is always on a Thursday. The rest are on fixed dates. A fixed date holiday that falls on a weekend (Saturday and Sunday) is usually observed for federal employees on the closest weekday : a holiday falling on a Saturday is observed on the preceding Friday, while a holiday falling on a Sunday is observed on the succeeding Monday. The official names come from the statute that defines holidays for federal employees. 1938 (federal holiday) 1941 (received permanent observation date) Inauguration Day , held on January 20 every four years following

2626-496: Is evident in our actions as an organization and here in America it is evidence that we are about inclusion, not exclusion. To claim that we as African-Americans want to form a confederation or separate ourselves from white people because of one song is baffling to me." In January 2021, Representative and then- House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn sponsored HR 301, a bill that proposed that "Lift Every Voice and Sing" be designated as

2727-705: Is no evidence that Granger or any of his troops proclaimed the Ordinance by reading it aloud. All indications are that copies of the Ordinance were posted in public places, including the Negro Church on Broadway, since renamed Reedy Chapel A.M.E. Church . On June 21, 2014, the Galveston Historical Foundation and Texas Historical Commission erected a Juneteenth plaque where the Osterman Building once stood signifying

2828-427: Is the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was declared a holiday in 1986. Juneteenth also falls within the statutory Honor America Days period, which lasts for 21 days from Flag Day (June 14) to Independence Day (July 4). Texas was the first state to recognize the date by enacted law, in 1980. By 2002, eight states officially recognized Juneteenth and four years later 15 states recognized

2929-545: The Constitution , ruling that "the Christmas holiday has become largely secularized", and that "by giving federal employees a paid vacation day on Christmas, the government is doing no more than recognizing the cultural significance of the holiday". Most of the 11 U.S. federal holidays are also state holidays. Five of the "floating" date holidays always fall on a Monday; the remaining floating holiday, Thanksgiving,

3030-689: The District of Columbia has formally recognized the holiday in some way. Juneteenth is also celebrated by the Mascogos , descendants of Black Seminoles who escaped from slavery in 1852 and settled in Coahuila , Mexico . The day was recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, when the 117th US Congress enacted and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. Juneteenth became

3131-469: The Emancipation Proclamation which promised freedom, singing traditional songs such as " Swing Low, Sweet Chariot " and " Lift Every Voice and Sing ", and reading of works by noted African-American writers, such as Ralph Ellison and Maya Angelou . Celebrations include picnics, rodeos , street fairs, cookouts, family reunions , park parties, historical reenactments , blues festivals, and Miss Juneteenth contests. Red food and drinks are traditional during

Juneteenth - Misplaced Pages Continue

3232-684: The House of Representatives by a 415–14 vote on June 16. Federal holiday in the United States Federal holidays in the United States are 11 calendar dates designated by the U.S. federal government as holidays. On these days non-essential U.S. federal government offices are closed and federal employees are paid for the day off. Federal holidays are designated by the United States Congress in Title V of

3333-534: The NFL Draft and playoff games) during the 2021 season . Some African American fans who were interviewed by NBC News felt that the NFL's decision was "pandering" that would not have a material impact on the league's pursuits of social justice. Lift every voice and sing, 'Til earth and heaven ring, Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise High as the listening skies, Let it resound loud as

3434-550: The National Football League announced that "Lift Every Voice and Sing" would be played or performed as part of the pre-game ceremonies of all Week 1 games during the 2020 season . The decision came as part of a new social justice campaign being introduced by the NFL, stemming from the league's acknowledgements of the Black Lives Matter movement, and its handling of players taking a knee during

3535-413: The National Football League , Nike , began treating Juneteenth as a company holiday, providing a paid day off to their workers, and Google Calendar added Juneteenth to its U.S. Holidays calendar. Also in 2020, a number of major universities formally recognized Juneteenth, either as a "day of reflection" or as a university holiday with paid time off for faculty and staff. The 2020 mother-daughter film on

3636-559: The Northern United States could not take time off or simply dropped the celebration. The Great Depression forced many Black people off farms and into the cities to find work, where they had difficulty taking the day off to celebrate. From 1936 to 1951, the Texas State Fair served as a destination for celebrating the holiday, contributing to its revival. In 1936, an estimated 150,000 to 200,000 people joined

3737-661: The Reconstruction Treaties of late 1866, when tribes such as the Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, and others were forced to sign new treaties that required them to free their slaves. The freedom of formerly enslaved people in Texas was given state law status in a series of Texas Supreme Court decisions between 1868 and 1874. Formerly enslaved people in Galveston rejoiced after General Order No. 3. One year later, on June 19, 1866, freedmen in Texas organized

3838-491: The United States Code ( 5 U.S.C.   § 6103 ). Congress only has authority to create holidays for federal institutions (including federally-owned properties), employees, and the District of Columbia . As a general rule of courtesy, custom, and sometimes regulation, other institutions, such as banks, businesses, schools, and the financial markets , may be closed on federal holidays. In various parts of

3939-441: The late-night talk show The Late Show with Stephen Colbert , occasionally worked "Lift Every Voice and Sing" into the music that was played by his band Stay Human when the program hosted a Black guest; he stated that the hymn "connects us to the history of all the people who we stand on the shoulders of—who have marched and fought and died for the freedoms we enjoy and that we're trying to improve upon". On September 24, 2016,

4040-674: The "Solidarity Day of the Poor People's Campaign." In the subsequent revival, large celebrations in Minneapolis and Milwaukee emerged, as well as across the Eastern United States. In 1974, Houston began holding large-scale celebrations again, and Fort Worth, Texas , followed the next year. Around 30,000 people attended festivities at Sycamore Park in Fort Worth the following year. The 1978 Milwaukee celebration

4141-637: The 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival . Participants in the Great Migration brought these celebrations to the rest of the country. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, these celebrations were eclipsed by the nonviolent determination to achieve civil rights, but grew in popularity again in the 1970s with a focus on African-American freedom and African-American arts . Beginning with Texas by proclamation in 1938, and by legislation in 1979, every U.S. state and

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4242-533: The 2000s and 2010s, activists continued a long process to push Congress towards official recognition of Juneteenth. Organizations such as the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation sought a Congressional designation of Juneteenth as a national day of observance. By 2016, 45 states were recognizing the occasion. Activist Opal Lee , often referred to as the "grandmother of Juneteenth", campaigned for decades to make Juneteenth

4343-791: The Caged Bird Sings , the hymn is sung by the audience and students at Maya's eighth-grade graduation ceremony, after a white school official dashes the educational aspirations of her classmates. In 1972, Kim Weston sang the hymn as the opening number for the Wattstax Festival at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. This performance was included in the film Wattstax which was produced by Wolper Films. The musical direction and recording were both overseen by Stax Records engineer Terry Manning . In 1975, James Brown quoted

4444-646: The Edwin M. Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida , had sought to write a poem in commemoration of Abraham Lincoln 's birthday. However, amid the ongoing civil rights movement , Johnson decided to write a poem which was themed around the struggles of African Americans following the Reconstruction era (including the passage of Jim Crow laws in the South ). "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was first recited by

4545-590: The Negroes of Texas that they were free; and Whereas, since that time, Texas Negroes have observed this day with suitable holiday ceremony, except during such years when the day comes on a Sunday; when the Governor of the State is asked to proclaim the following day as the holiday for State observance by Negroes; and Whereas, June 19, 1938, this year falls on Sunday; NOW, THEREFORE, I, JAMES V. ALLRED, Governor of

4646-654: The South for the North and the West Coast. As historian Isabel Wilkerson writes, "The people from Texas took Juneteenth Day to Los Angeles, Oakland , Seattle , and other places they went." In 1945, Juneteenth was introduced in San Francisco by a migrant from Texas, Wesley Johnson. During the 1950s and 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement focused the attention of African Americans on expanding freedom and integrating. As

4747-560: The State of Texas recognizes all federal holidays except Columbus Day, and recognizes the Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and the day after Christmas as state holidays. Texas does not follow the federal rule of closing either the Friday before, if a holiday falls on a Saturday, or the Monday after if a holiday falls on a Sunday. Offices are open on those Fridays or Mondays. Texas has "partial staffing holidays", such as March 2 , which

4848-522: The State of Texas, do set aside and proclaim the day of June 20, 1938, as the date for observance of EMANCIPATION DAY in Texas, and do urge all members of the Negro race in Texas to observe the day in a manner appropriate to its importance to them. Seventy thousand people attended a "Juneteenth Jamboree" in 1951. From 1940 through 1970, in the second wave of the Great Migration , more than five million Black people left Texas, Louisiana and other parts of

4949-472: The Trans-Mississippi did not formally surrender until June 2. On the morning of June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger arrived on the island of Galveston to take command of the more than 2,000 federal troops recently landed in the department of Texas to enforce the emancipation of its enslaved population and oversee Reconstruction , nullifying all laws passed within Texas during

5050-698: The United States, Christmas Day as a federal or public holiday is sometimes objected to by various non-Christians, usually due to its ties with Christianity . In December 1999, the Western Division of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio , in the case Ganulin v. United States , denied the charge that Christmas Day's federal status violated the Establishment Clause of

5151-562: The United States." President Biden's annual proclamation in 2024 began, "On June 19, 1865, freedom finally came for the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas. That day, which would become known as Juneteenth, the Army arrived to enforce what had already been the law of the land for two and a half years—the Emancipation Proclamation". On October 3, 1789, at the request of the U.S. Congress, President George Washington issued

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5252-422: The biblical Jubilee , in which enslaved people were freed), took place on September 22, January 1, July 4, August 1, April 6, and November 1, among other dates. When emancipation finally came to Texas , on June 19, 1865, as the southern rebellion collapsed, celebration was widespread. While that date did not actually mark the unequivocal end of slavery, even in Texas, June 19 came to be

5353-453: The celebrations, including red velvet cake and strawberry soda , with red meant to represent resilience and joy. Juneteenth celebrations often include lectures and exhibitions on African-American culture. The modern holiday places much emphasis on teaching about African-American heritage. Karen M. Thomas wrote in Emerge that "community leaders have latched on to [Juneteenth] to help instill

5454-486: The connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere. Longstanding urban legend places a historic reading of General Order No. 3 at Ashton Villa ; but no historical evidence supports this claim. There

5555-604: The country, state and city holidays may be observed concurrently with federal holidays. The history of national holidays in the United States dates back to June 28, 1870, when Congress created national holidays "to correspond with similar laws of States around the District...and...in every State of the Union." Although at first applicable only to federal employees in the District of Columbia , Congress extended coverage in 1885 to all federal employees. The original four holidays in 1870 were: George Washington's Birthday became

5656-490: The day through Senate Joint Resolution 11 and House Joint Resolution 56. In 2013, the U.S. Senate passed Senate Resolution 175, acknowledging Lula Briggs Galloway (late president of the National Association of Juneteenth Lineage), who "successfully worked to bring national recognition to Juneteenth Independence Day", and the continued leadership of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. In

5757-544: The day with an alternative holiday or observance. South Dakota is the only state to recognize Native American Day as an official state holiday. Lift Every Voice and Sing Premiered in 1900, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was communally sung within Black American communities, while the NAACP began to promote the hymn as a " Negro national anthem " in 1917 (with the term " Black national anthem " similarly used in

5858-416: The days of the funerals for former Presidents Ronald Reagan , George H. W. Bush , and Gerald Ford ; federal government offices were closed and employees given a paid holiday. In addition, occasionally the President will grant Christmas Eve as a holiday or partial holiday (the latter generally being 4 hours for full-time employees). Many federal holidays have been proposed. As the U.S. federal government

5959-456: The end of the American Civil War . In the Civil War period, slavery came to an end in various areas of the United States at different times. Many enslaved Southerners escaped, demanded wages, stopped work, or took up arms against the Confederacy of slave states. In January 1865, Congress finally proposed the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution for national abolition of slavery. By June 1865, almost all enslaved were freed by

6060-433: The event. Like other temporary installations, the sculpture was destroyed at the close of the fair. In 1919, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) dubbed "Lift Every Voice and Sing" the "Negro national anthem", for its power in voicing a cry for liberation and affirmation for African American people. James Weldon Johnson would be appointed to serve as the NAACP's first executive secretary

6161-492: The federal level. Some of these holidays are observed at the state level. Some Native American groups protest the observance of Columbus Day , mainly due to the controversy of Columbus' arrival to the Americas. Alaska , Colorado , Florida , Hawaii , Iowa , Louisiana , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , New Mexico , Nevada , North Carolina , Oregon , South Dakota , Vermont , Washington , and Wisconsin do not recognize Columbus Day. Hawaii and South Dakota mark

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6262-419: The first day of the year. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all enslaved people in the Confederate States of America in rebellion and not in Union hands were freed. Planters and other slaveholders from eastern states had migrated into Texas to escape the fighting, and many brought enslaved people with them, increasing by the thousands the enslaved population in

6363-757: The first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983. The holiday is considered the "longest-running African-American holiday" and has been called "America's second Independence Day." Juneteenth falls on June 19 and has often been celebrated on the third Saturday in June. Historian Mitch Kachun considers that celebrations of the end of slavery have three goals: "to celebrate, to educate, and to agitate." Early celebrations consisted of baseball , fishing, and rodeos. African Americans were often prohibited from using public facilities for their celebrations, so they were often held at churches or near water. Celebrations were characterized by elaborate large meals and people wearing their best clothing. It

6464-476: The first of what became annual commemorations of "Jubilee Day." Early celebrations were used as political rallies to give voting instructions to newly freed African Americans. Other independence observances occurred on January 1 or 4. In some cities, Black people were barred from using public parks because of state-sponsored segregation of facilities. Across parts of Texas, freed people pooled their funds to purchase land to hold their celebrations. The day

6565-433: The following year. It has similarly been referred to as "the Black national anthem". The use of the term "the Black national anthem" in reference to "Lift Every Voice and Sing" has been criticized. Timothy Askew, an associate professor at the historically Black Clark Atlanta University , argued that the use of the term "Black national anthem" could incorrectly implicate a desire of separatism by Black communities, that

6666-415: The holiday's celebration in Dallas. In 1938, Governor of Texas James Allred issued a proclamation stating in part: Whereas, the Negroes in the State of Texas observe June 19 as the official day for the celebration of Emancipation from slavery; and Whereas, June 19, 1865, was the date when General [Gordon] Granger, who had command of the Military District of Texas, issued a proclamation notifying

6767-474: The holiday's pageant culture, Miss Juneteenth , celebrates African-American women who are "determined to stand on their own," while a resourceful mother is "getting past a sexist tendency in her community to keep women in their place." In 1996, the first federal legislation to recognize "Juneteenth Independence Day" was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.J. Res. 195, sponsored by Barbara-Rose Collins (D-MI). In 1997, Congress recognized

6868-431: The holiday. President Donald Trump , during his 2020 campaign for reelection, added making the day a national holiday part of his " Platinum Plan for Black America ." Spurred on by Opal Lee , the racial justice movement and the Congressional Black Caucus , on June 15, 2021, the Senate unanimously passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act , establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. It passed through

6969-474: The holiday. By 2008, just over half of the states recognized Juneteenth in some way. By 2019, 47 states and the District of Columbia recognized Juneteenth, although as of 2020 only Texas had adopted the holiday as a paid holiday for state employees. In June 2019, Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Wolf recognized Juneteenth as a holiday in the state. In the yearlong aftermath of the murder of George Floyd that occurred on May 25, 2020, nine states designated Juneteenth

7070-399: The home. The Emancipation Proclamation is also read and speeches are made. Representative Al Edwards died of natural causes April 29, 2020, at the age of 83, but the annual prayer breakfast and commemorative celebration continued at Ashton Villa, with the late legislator's son Jason Edwards speaking in his father's place. In the late 1970s, when the Texas Legislature declared Juneteenth

7171-432: The hymn was sung by mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and chorus at the conclusion of the opening ceremonies of the National Museum of African American History and Culture , at which Obama delivered the keynote address. On October 19, 2017, when White supremacist leader Richard Spencer spoke at the University of Florida , music professor Laura Ellis played "Lift Every Voice and Sing" on the university's carillon to convey

7272-416: The inaugural Al Edwards prayer breakfast and commemorative celebration on the grounds of the 1859 home, Ashton Villa. As one of the few existing buildings from the Civil War era and popular in local myth and legend as the location of Major General Granger's order, Edwards's annual celebration includes a local historian dressed as the Union general reading General Order No. 3 from the second-story balcony of

7373-513: The last state to recognize Juneteenth as an annual state holiday or observance. Its law provided for following the federal law even before it was official. On May 2, 2022, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a bill changing the state's ceremonial observance to a state holiday and it is now the 11th state holiday in Colorado. As of 2024, 27 states and the District of Columbia have made Juneteenth an annualized paid holiday for state employees, with

7474-469: The latter of which featured musical numbers about the holiday by Aloe Blacc , The Roots , and Fonzworth Bentley . In 2018, Apple added Juneteenth to its calendars in iOS under official U.S. holidays. Some private companies have adopted Juneteenth as a paid day off for employees, while others have officially marked the day in other ways, such as a moment of silence . In 2020, several American corporations and educational institutions, including Twitter ,

7575-494: The law that made June 19th a federal holiday. Officially designated as " Juneteenth National Independence Day ", Juneteenth commemorates the belated June 19, 1865, announcement that enslaved people in the Confederate states had been freed by President Abraham Lincoln as of January 1, 1863. President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, which declared "that all persons held as slaves" within

7676-483: The location of Major General Granger's Union Headquarters believed to be where he issued his general orders. Although this event commemorates the end of slavery, emancipation for the remaining enslaved in two Union border states , Delaware and Kentucky, would not come until December 6, 1865, when the Thirteenth Amendment was ratified; furthermore, thousands of black slaves were not freed until after

7777-490: The lyrics of the hymn do not overtly refer to any specific race (which has inspired people to perform it outside African American communities), and "identity should be developed by the individual himself, not by a group of people who think they know what is best for you." Some Conservative commentators have similarly criticized performances and references to "Lift Every Voice and Sing" as the "Black national anthem" as separatist and diminishing to " The Star-Spangled Banner " as

7878-540: The melody of "The Star-Spangled Banner" became part of the titular suite on her 2011 CD release, The Voice of My Beautiful Country . On January 20, 2009, the Rev. Joseph Lowery , a civil rights movement leader who co-founded and is a former president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference , used a near-verbatim recitation of the hymn's third stanza to begin his benediction at the inauguration ceremony for President Barack Obama . Jon Batiste , former bandleader of

7979-469: The national anthem of the United States. In response to Askew's remarks, the NAACP's then-senior vice president of advocacy and policy Hilary O. Shelton told CNN that the hymn "was adopted and welcomed by a very interracial group, and it speaks of hope in being full first-class citizens in our society", used in conjunction with the U.S. national anthem or the Pledge of Allegiance during public events, "It

8080-537: The national hymn of the United States. Other songs have been proposed to become the national hymn of the United States in the past, and " The Star-Spangled Banner " would have remained the national anthem. In 1923, the male gospel group Manhattan Harmony Four recorded the hymn as "Lift Every Voice and Sing (National Negro Anthem)". It was added to the National Recording Registry in 2016. In Maya Angelou 's 1969 autobiography , I Know Why

8181-438: The political process. White-dominated state legislatures passed Jim Crow laws imposing second-class status. Gladys L. Knight writes the decline in celebration was in part because "upwardly mobile blacks ... were ashamed of their slave past and aspired to assimilate into mainstream culture. Younger generations of blacks, becoming further removed from slavery were occupied with school ... and other pursuits." Others who migrated to

8282-502: The present day). It has been featured in 42 different Christian hymnals, and it has also been performed by various African American singers and musicians. Its prominence has increased since 2020 following the George Floyd protests ; in 2021, then House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn sponsored a bill proposing that "Lift Every Voice and Sing" be designated as the "national hymn" of the United States. James Weldon Johnson, Principal of

8383-601: The rebellious parts of Southern states of the Confederacy including Texas. Enforcement of the Proclamation generally relied upon the advance of Union troops. Texas, as the most remote state of the former Confederacy, had seen an expansion of slavery because the presence of Union troops was low as the American Civil War ended; thus, the enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation had been slow and inconsistent there prior to Granger's order. In all June 19, 1865,

8484-405: The rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free". A National Park Service fact sheet explains that "the word 'Juneteenth' is a Black English contraction, or portmanteau, of the month 'June' and the date 'Nineteenth'. Juneteenth celebrates the date of June 19, 1865, when enslaved people of African descent located in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom from the slavery system in

8585-597: The remainder maintaining at least a ceremonial observance (New Mexico's personnel board declared it a paid worker holiday, although it is not a statutory holiday in New Mexico). Additional states may observe it as a paid holiday for state workers but rely on a decision, often of the governor, in each year, instead of perpetual by statute, which may or may not occur again the next year. Local governments including counties and municipalities also may close their offices and pay their workers time-off. The table below only includes

8686-455: The rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on 'til victory is won. Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chastening rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet Come to the place For which our fathers died. We have come, over

8787-536: The singing of the national anthem in order to protest against racial inequality and police brutality . The NFL's opening night kickoff game featured a filmed performance of the hymn by Alicia Keys at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum , which was later replayed as part of the pre-game show of Super Bowl LV on February 7, 2021. The NFL stated that it would again feature the hymn at Week 1 games and other "tentpole" events (including

8888-457: The state at the end of the Civil War. Although most lived in rural areas, more than 1,000 resided in Galveston or Houston by 1860, with several hundred in other large towns. By 1865, there were an estimated 250,000 enslaved people in Texas. Despite the surrender of Confederate General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, the western Confederate Army of

8989-574: The state's with perpetual, annual, paid holiday laws identified by the Congressional Research Service in 2023 or subsequent sources: Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States. For decades, activists and congress members (led by many African Americans) proposed legislation, advocated for, and built support for state and national observances. During his campaign for president in June 2020, Joe Biden publicly celebrated

9090-620: The victorious Union Army , or abolition laws in some of the remaining U.S. states . When the national abolition amendment was ratified in December, the remaining enslaved in Delaware and in Kentucky were freed. Early celebrations date back to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. They spread across the South among newly freed African American slaves and their descendants and became more commercialized in

9191-485: The war by Confederate lawmakers. The order informed all Texans that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all enslaved people were free: 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

9292-595: The whole nation. The burst around the star represents a nova and the red curve represents a horizon , standing for a new era for African Americans. The red, white, and blue colors represent the American flag, which shows that African Americans and their enslaved ancestors are Americans, and the national belief in liberty and justice for all citizens. The holiday gained mainstream awareness outside African-American communities through depictions in media, such as episodes of TV series Atlanta (2016) and Black-ish (2017),

9393-756: The word Juneteenth for Jubilee Day early in the 1890s. The word Juneteenth appeared in print in the Brenham Weekly Banner , a white newspaper from Brenham, Texas , as early as 1891. Mentions of Juneteenth celebrations outside of Texas appeared as early as 1909 in Shreveport, Louisiana . In the early 20th century, economic and political forces led to a decline in Juneteenth celebrations. From 1890 to 1908, Texas and all former Confederate states passed new constitutions or amendments that effectively disenfranchised Black people , excluding them from

9494-591: Was 900 days after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect, 71 days after Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union on April 9, 1865, and 24 days after the disbanding of the Confederate military department covering Texas on May 26, 1865. During the American Civil War (1861–1865), emancipation came at different times in different parts of the Southern United States . Large celebrations of emancipation, often called Jubilees (recalling

9595-476: Was being sung over the South and in some other parts of the country." A sculpture by Augusta Savage named after the song was exhibited at the 1939 New York World's Fair , taking the form of a choir of children shaped into a harp . Savage was the only Black woman commissioned for the Fair, and the sculpture (which was retitled "The Harp" by organizers) was also sold as miniature replicas and on postcards during

9696-439: Was common for formerly enslaved people and their descendants to make a pilgrimage to Galveston. As early festivals received news coverage, Janice Hume and Noah Arceneaux consider that they "served to assimilate African-American memories within the dominant 'American story ' ". Modern observance is primarily in local celebrations. In many places, Juneteenth has become a multicultural holiday. Traditions include public readings of

9797-476: Was described as drawing over 100,000 attendees. In 1979, the Texas Legislature made the occasion a state holiday. In the late 1980s, there were major celebrations of Juneteenth in California, Wisconsin, Illinois, Georgia, and Washington, D.C. In 1979, Democratic State Representative Al Edwards of Houston successfully sponsored legislation to make Juneteenth a paid Texas state holiday. The same year, he hosted

9898-633: Was entered into the Congressional Record by Del. Walter Fauntroy ( D - DC ). It was also added to the National Recording Registry in 2016. In 2008, jazz singer Rene Marie was asked to sing the national anthem at a civic event in Denver, Colorado , where she caused a controversy by substituting the words of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" into the song. This arrangement of the words of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" with

9999-495: Was featured as the opening and closing song of The Blues and Its People , a suite by Russell Gunn first performed on February 18, 2023 at Harlem's Apollo Theater to mark the 50th anniversary of Amiri Baraka 's book Blues People: Negro Music in White America . In mid-2020, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" began to receive renewed attention amid nationwide protests over the police murder of George Floyd , which became

10100-677: Was first celebrated in Austin in 1867 under the auspices of the Freedmen's Bureau , and it had been listed on a "calendar of public events" by 1872. That year, Black leaders in Texas raised $ 1,000 for the purchase of 10 acres (4 ha) of land, today known as Houston's Emancipation Park , to celebrate Juneteenth. The observation was soon drawing thousands of attendees across Texas. In Limestone County , an estimated 30,000 Black people celebrated at Booker T. Washington Park, established in 1898 for Juneteenth celebrations. The Black community began using

10201-614: Was published, increasing recognition of the holiday. By 2006, at least 200 cities celebrated the day. In 1997, activist Ben Haith created the Juneteenth flag , which was further refined by illustrator Lisa Jeanne Graf. In 2000, the flag was first hoisted at the Roxbury Heritage State Park in Boston by Haith. The star at the center represents Texas and the extension of freedom for all African Americans throughout

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