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Atlanta, GA | Posted: June 14, 2022
Institute Communications
Summary Sentence:
Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, marks the effective end of slavery in the United States.
Full Summary:
Juneteenth, now a federal holiday, marks the effective end of slavery in the United States.
Juneteenth FlagFor the first time, Juneteenth National Independence Day, or “Juneteenth,” is an Institute-wide holiday. The date of the holiday, June 19, falls on a Sunday this year, so it will be observed on Monday, June 20.
Juneteenth marks the effective end of slavery in the United States at the end of the Civil War — when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, were made aware that slavery had been abolished by executive order two and a half years earlier with the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. On June 19, 1865, federal troops led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed.
Last June the federal government established a national holiday commemorating Juneteenth. Earlier this year, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp signed legislation to expand the number of annual paid holidays for state employees from 12 to 13. Following the change by the state, the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents voted to update its policy to align with the state code.
African American communities across the country observed Juneteenth for more than 150 years before it became a federal holiday. The name “Juneteenth” refers to the date of the holiday, June 19, combining the words “June” and “nineteenth.”
