Juneteenth 2022: What the Holiday Represents and How to Celebrate
08.06.2022 - 01:05
/ etonline.com
Juneteenth is just weeks away. This holiday -- named for and celebrated on June 19 -- commemorates the true ending of slavery in the United States.
(You'll note, it is not Jan. 1, the date of President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
More on that below.) From its celebratory roots in churches across Texas to the impassioned protests of the last year, Juneteenth has come a long way with finally being recognition as an official holiday and even retailers like Amazon has recognized Black-Owned Businesses. After an unanimous vote, the House passed legislation that establishes June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, with President Joe Biden signing the bill into law on June 17, 2021, recognizing Juneteenth as an official federal holiday.Last year's Juneteenth received high-profile recognition via which aired on ABC and hosted by Leslie Odom Jr. The special included performances by Jimmie Allen, Chloe Bailey (of Chloe x Halle) and Leon Bridges.
This year, CNN will exclusively broadcast featuring appearances by Yolanda Adams, Billy Porter, Jhene Aiko, Earth, Wind & Fire and more. Along with a series of specials, shows and performances, this year's Juneteenth National Independence Day will see a return to in-person celebrations that were put on pause due to the pandemic.
But more than a century after the final enslaved people were freed, too many still don't know why celebrating June 19 is important — and why America still has much to grapple with its legacy.Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation went into effect Jan. 1, 1863, declaring «all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State… shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.» It wouldn't be until two and a half years later,on
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