Original Juneteenth proclamation found as America's black emancipation holiday goes national

Juneteenth 2004
(Image credit: David Paul Morris/Getty Images)

Juneteenth, a holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S., has been celebrated by black Americans for generations, typically with cookouts, song, parades, and other festivities. This year, amid a coronavirus pandemic that kills African Americans at three times the rate as whites and coast-to-coast protests against racism and police brutality sparked by the killing of George Floyd, Juneteenth has gone national and multiracial.

Nike, the NFL, Twitter, and several media outlets made Juneteenth a company holiday this year, and on Wednesday, New York declared it a paid holiday for state workers, The Associated Press reports. Hundreds of Juneteenth events are planned around the U.S., including in Tulsa, where President Trump had earlier planned to hold a rally Friday. Every state but Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota officially recognizes Juneteenth, and the White House, as Trump learned Thursday, has been issuing statements celebrating Juneteenth in his name every year he's been in office.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.