NATIONAL – There has been a growing call to declare Juneteenth a federal holiday in recent years, but many still might not exactly know what Juneteenth is all about and its importance to many people in the Black community.

What You Need To Know

  • Juneteenth is the celebration of the freeing of the last-remaining African-American slaves in the United States.

  • It is observed on June 19, the day all U.S. slaves were officially freed from enslavement.

  • There have been calls in recent years to declare it a federal holiday.

Observed on June 19 every year, Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, is the celebration of the emancipation of the last African American slaves in the United States.

This is not to be confused with the day the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln in 1863.

Juneteenth is the observance of the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Texas and announced that the Civil War was over and slaves were to be freed.

Currently, 47 states observe Juneteenth which has led many to call for it to be declared a federal holiday. Additionally, several businesses like Twitter, Nike, and Postmates are observing the day as a company holiday. 

The three states that currently do not observe the holiday are Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota.