Florida is among the states that do not recognize June 19 as an official holiday.
It has been two years since President Joe Biden signed legislation recognizing Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, as the nation’s 12th federal holiday.
Juneteenth observances not only raise awareness about the African diaspora, slavery, and the painful history of the Civil War but are also an opportunity to celebrate freedom.
Juneteenth’s history goes back to President Abraham Lincoln issuing the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, and to the 2 1/2 years it took for the news to get to Texas.
Union soldiers arrived on June 19, 1865, in Galveston with the order for slaves to be freed. It was just about two months after the Confederacy surrendered.
Nique performs "Lift Every Voice and Sing" in celebration of the upcoming Juneteenth holiday before a baseball game between the Oakland Athletics and the Philadelphia Phillies in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 18, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
A'lelia Johnson, 12, of Detroit, enjoys ice cream during a social gathering after Mass concluded, Sunday, June 18, 2023, at Gesu Catholic Church in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
FILE - Julien James carries his son, Maison, 4, holding a Pan-African flag, to celebrate during a Juneteenth commemoration at Leimert Park in Los Angeles on June 18, 2022. Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has become more universally recognized beyond Black America. For over one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File) (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
