Today is Juneteenth, which became the newest federal holiday when President Biden signed legislation in 2021 adding it to the roster of observances.
Officially known as Juneteenth National Independence Day, the holiday commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when the last Black slaves of the Confederacy were ordered freed following the arrival of Union troops. This occurred two months after the Civil War was over, but the word of the conflict”™s conclusion had yet to reach that corner of Texas.
Although Juneteenth is often held up as marking the end of slavery in the U.S., slavery persisted in several northern states. It wasn”™t until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution on Dec. 18, 1865, that slavery officially became illegal in this country. For many years, Juneteenth was unique to the Black population in Texas, but over time the holiday was embraced elsewhere as the nation came to terms with its troubled history of race relations.
Federal government offices and agencies, including the U.S. Postal Service, will be closed today. In states and municipalities where the Juneteenth holiday is observed, local government offices will also be closed. Banks, credit unions, the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq will also be closed.
Private sector companies and the nonprofit sector are not required by law to be closed for a federal holiday, so it is up to each entity to determine if they will be open for business.
