The Senate has unanimously approved a bill to make Juneteenth an official holiday. Pending an all-but-assured House approval and President Joe Biden’s signature, June 19th will become the 12th holiday on the federal calendar.
The day commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. The confederacy surrendered in April 1865, effectively ending the barbaric practice that was the backbone of the Southern economy (President Abraham Lincoln signed The Emancipation Proclamation over two years before). But word didn’t reach slaves in Galveston, Texas until the third week in June.
“The overwhelming bipartisan support to make Juneteenth a national holiday is a reminder of what our country is capable of when we don’t allow divisions to censor our past or stymie our march towards progress. I’m glad the Senate was able to come together to get this done,” said Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
The bill gained momentum last year amidst a national reckoning on race inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, but it was blocked by Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) because of economic concerns.
Johnson dropped his opposition on Tuesday, saying “While it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery, it is clear that there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter.”
Juneteenth is already a paid holiday for state employees in Texas, New York, Virginia and Washington. The new legislation, which had 60 bipartisan co-sponsors, would turn June 19th into Juneteenth National Independence Day across the country.
The bill’s Senate sponsor, Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA) released a statement saying, “For far too long, the story of our country’s history has been incomplete as we have failed to acknowledge, address, and come to grips with our nation’s original sin of slavery…The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act gives recognition and voice to those who suffered and finally makes this day of celebration, liberation, and hope a federal holiday.”