Juneteenth is officially a federal holiday.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a bill into law commemorating June 19, which marks the true end of slavery in the U.S., as a federal holiday.
“This is a day of profound weight and profound power,” Biden said at the signing ceremony, calling it a day to remember “the moral stain” of slavery. As he signed the bill, Opal Lee, who’s 94 and has led a decade-long effort to make Juneteenth a holiday, stood by his side on stage. The Texas native was one of the first to get a pen Biden used to sign the legislation.
Vice President Kamala Harris also highlighted the significance of establishing the holiday. Read more…
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