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What is Juneteenth and why is it a holiday?
Juneteenth is an annual holiday observing the end of slavery in the U.S. It marks the day (June 19, 1865) when news of emancipation reached people in the deepest parts of the former Confederacy in Galveston, Texas.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/what-is-juneteenth-origin-history-name/
U.S.
What is Juneteenth? Learn the history behind the federal holiday's origin and name
"All Americans can feel the power of this day, and learn from our history," Mr. Biden said at the ceremony.
The law immediately went into effect with his signature, and the first Juneteenth, as a national holiday, was observed the following day. That was June 18, 2021.
Since June 19 fell on a Saturday, government offices, alongside a number of private businesses, closed their doors in acknowledgement. Although the financial sector at the time continued to operate as originally planned, NASDAQ confirmed last month that the stock market will be closed Monday for Juneteenth, as was last year, and as it is during other national holidays.
Mr. Biden signed the legislation after it passed quickly through both chambers of Congress earlier in the week. Answering public calls for federal recognition that grew throughout 2020 and into 2021, the Senate unanimously passed a bill to establish Juneteenth National Independence Day as a legal, public holiday, despite some initial pushback from Republican lawmakers.
