Juneteenth, short for “June Nineteenth,” is sometimes referred to as Emancipation Day. It commemorates the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, in 1865 to inform and ensure that enslaved Black people were finally freed following the end of the Civil War. The troops’ arrival occurred two and a half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This date has been celebrated by Black Americans since the late 19th century.
President Biden signed a bill last Juneteenth formalizing its status as a federal holiday. On June 6 this year, Governor Roy Cooper signed an executive order granting state employees a day of leave to recognize a day of cultural, religious or personal significance.
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Source: The University of North Carolina