Which President Signed Juneteenth as a Holiday
President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday. The legislation was passed by Congress with bipartisan support shortly after widespread civil rights protests in 2020.
What Is Juneteenth and Why Does It Matter
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Major General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery in Galveston, Texas. This occurred more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
How Juneteenth Became a Federal Holiday
The push for a federal holiday gained momentum after the 2020 racial justice protests. Lawmakers introduced the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which was approved by Congress and signed by President Biden in 2021. The holiday is now observed annually on June 19 across the United States. For more details on the legislative history, visit Congress.gov.
