18
June
Commemorating Juneteenth Emancipation Day
Yesterday, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, making this upcoming Saturday the first Juneteenth celebrated as a federal holiday. This marks the first national recognition of a day commemorating the emancipation of enslaved black people and an opportunity for Americans to reflect on the past for a brighter furture.
History
On June 19th in 1865 Union general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston Texas to issue a general order stating:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States,