A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2024 | The White House (2024)

On June 19, 1865, freedom finally came for the 250,000 enslaved people of Texas. That day, which would become known as Juneteenth, the Army arrived to enforce what had already been the law of the land for two and a half years — the Emancipation Proclamation. Today, we recognize that Juneteenth not only marks the end of America’s original sin of slavery but also the beginning of the work at the heart and soul of our Nation: making the promise of America real for every American.

One of my proudest moments as President was signing into law Juneteenth as a new Federal holiday — the first Federal holiday to be established since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day four decades prior. Juneteenth is an acknowledgment of the truth of our Nation’s history. It is about realizing the idea that America was founded on: All people are created equal and deserve to be treated equally throughout their lives. It is about the generations of brave Black leaders and selfless activists who never let us walk away from that idea, including Ms. Opal Lee, whom I awarded the Medal of Freedom for her work as the grandmother of Juneteenth, and former State Representative Al Edwards, who authored the bill to designate it a holiday in Texas.

My Administration is working to ensure we continue to deliver on that idea — creating a country that truly stands for freedom, justice, dignity, and opportunity for all. Today, record numbers of Black Americans have jobs and health insurance, and Black business ownership is growing at the fastest pace in over 30 years. We are investing more money than ever in Black families and communities. That includes the funding we are delivering to support predominantly Black neighborhoods that had been divided and left behind by segregation and racial discrimination, the checks we delivered that reduced Black child poverty to the lowest rate in history, the changes we have made to the appraisals process to root out biases that put Black homeowners at a disadvantage, and the over $16 billion investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities so that we can ensure the next generation of Black leaders has equal opportunities for a quality education and pathways for economic mobility. We are working to rebuild and strengthen all of America by removing every lead pipe across our country, delivering affordable high-speed internet, forgiving $167 billion in student loan debt, and creating good-paying jobs that you can raise a family on. We are creating a new sense of pride and dignity in communities across the country.

As we work to make history, my Administration is also working to tell our Nation’s history instead of erasing it. That is why I signed a law, which had been more than 100 years in the making, to designate lynching as a Federal hate crime. Idesignated the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument to preserve historic sites and cultural resources in Mississippi and Illinois so that we never forget the brutal lynching of Emmett Till in Mississippi in 1955 and the subsequent courage of his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, who made sure our Nation would never forget her son. I have honored some of our country’s greatest Black scholars, humanitarians, and artists, who dare to tell the good, bad, and truth of our Nation. We are writing new chapters of our history, and I am proud to have the most diverse Administration ever to tap into the full talents of our Nation — including the first Black woman Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris — and to have appointed the first Black woman as a Justice on the United States Supreme Court, Ketanji Brown Jackson. Meanwhile, we are also working to secure the right to vote — with which anything is possible.

On Juneteenth, may we celebrate the essence of freedom that galvanized the country, the progress we have made in our Nation, and all that is possible when we march forward together. May we all recommit to redeeming the very soul of America — choosing love over hate, unity over division, and progress over retreat.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2024, as Juneteenth Day of Observance. I call upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and condemn the history of slavery in our Nation and recognize how the impact of America’s original sin remains. I call on every American to celebrate Juneteenth and recommit to working together to eradicate systemic racism and inequity in our society wherever they find it.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord twothousandtwenty-four, and of the Independence of the UnitedStates ofAmerica the twohundred and forty-eighth.

JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.

A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2024 | The White House (2024)

FAQs

What was the proclamation for Juneteenth? ›

NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2024, as Juneteenth Day of Observance.

What president made Juneteenth a federal holiday? ›

Becoming a federal holiday

President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, June 17, 2021. Opal Lee is third from left. In 1996, the first federal legislation to recognize "Juneteenth Independence Day" was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives, H.J.

What is Juneteenth Day and why is it celebrated? ›

Dating back to 1865, Juneteenth commemorates the day when 250,000 slaves in the state of Texas, which became the last bastion for slavery during the final days of the Civil War, were declared free by the U.S. Army.

What to say on Juneteenth? ›

Just Say 'Happy Juneteenth! ' The easiest way to wish someone a Happy Juneteenth is by messaging them and wishing them a fulfilled day. Similar to Black History Month, and other important anniversaries to Black Americans, it is important to acknowledge it as an American holiday, even if you do not celebrate it.

Is Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2024? ›

LEGAL PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Washington's Birthday, the third Monday in February. Memorial Day, the last Monday in May. Juneteenth, June 19. Independence Day, July 4.

What's the difference between the Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth? ›

Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, is celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863, declared freedom for enslaved people in Confederate states.

Do Republicans like Juneteenth? ›

Though 60 percent supported Juneteenth becoming a holiday, half of Trump voters and 44 percent of Republicans opposed it.

Who decided Juneteenth was a holiday? ›

The U.S. government was slow to embrace the occasion — it was only in 2021 that President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday.

Should Juneteenth be a holiday? ›

Making Juneteenth a federal holiday is a major step forward to recognize the wrongs of the past,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N. Y., said in a statement, “but we must continue to work to ensure equal justice and fulfill the promise of the Emancipation Proclamation and our Constitution.”

Which state was the last to free slaves? ›

In June of 1865, Kentucky slavery was dying, but the institution remained legal until the passage of the 13th Amendment on Dec. 18, 1865. The enslaved men, women and children of Kentucky were the last to finally taste freedom – over six months after June 19th.

Was Texas the last state to free slaves? ›

While Texas was the last Confederate state where enslaved people officially gained their freedom, there were holdouts elsewhere in the country.

Which food is traditionally eaten at a Juneteenth celebration? ›

Juneteenth Food Traditions

Delicious down-home offerings like black-eyed peas, pulled pork, cornbread, and strawberry soda are also commonplace.

What is a great quote for Juneteenth? ›

"Knowledge makes a man unfit to be a slave." "You can't separate peace from freedom, because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom." "My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together."

When did slavery end? ›

13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865) | National Archives.

Is it polite to say "Happy Juneteenth"? ›

It's typical to wish people a “Happy Juneteenth” or “Happy Teenth," according to Alan Freeman, a comedian organizing a Juneteenth comedy festival in Galveston, Texas for the second straight year.

Did the Emancipation Proclamation free all slaves? ›

The Emancipation Proclamation did not free all slaves in the United States. Rather, it declared free only those slaves living in states not under Union control.

What was the Emancipation Proclamation summary? ›

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."

What is the difference between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment? ›

The Emancipation Proclamation, declared by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 during the American Civil War, only freed slaves held in confederate states. Only through the Thirteenth Amendment did emancipation become national policy. It was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, and by the House on January 31, 1865.

What was the original document for Juneteenth? ›

Granger delivered to Galveston General Orders, No. 3. The order informed all Texans that, in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves were free. It was from that moment that Juneteenth would be born.

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