Senate unanimously passes bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday

The Emancipation Proclamation.
(Image credit: Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

The Senate unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would make Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, a federal holiday.

Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, when the last enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free. It was first celebrated in Texas in 1865, and today most states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. The bill is expected to also pass in the House.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.