Wednesday is Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, marking the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. This year, Juneteenth falls on June 19, and it has been a federal holiday since President Joe Biden signed a bill into law in 2021. While all 50 states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or observance, only 28 states have made it a permanent paid or legal holiday through legislation or executive action, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Who’s Closed for Juneteenth?
The Federal Reserve and its 24 bank branches will be closed on Wednesday in observance of Juneteenth. Several major banks, including Capitol One, Bank of America, J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo, Chase, and American National Bank, will also be closed.
Federal courtrooms across the country will be closed, though e-filing will still be available, as announced by the Administrative Office of the United States Courts on X (formerly Twitter). Additionally, the U.S. Postal Service will not be operating, and there will be no regular mail delivery except for holiday premium Priority Mail Express. However, people can still order stamps, shipping supplies, print shipping labels, and request package pickups online.
Who’s Open on Juneteenth?
UPS and FedEx store locations will remain open, with pickup and delivery services available as usual. Major restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers such as Starbucks, Walmart, Target, and Costco will also be open.
While private employers are not mandated to give paid time off on holidays, management services company ADP notes that many companies have either designated Juneteenth as a paid holiday or offered employees the option of “floating holidays.” Some states impose restrictions on making employees work on recognized holidays, but this varies widely.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth, though officially recognized as a federal holiday only in recent years, has been celebrated by Black Americans since the 1800s. The National Museum of African American History and Culture explains the holiday’s significance on its website, stating, “The historical legacy of Juneteenth shows the value of never giving up hope in uncertain times.”
President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 declared that “all persons held as slaves” in Confederate states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” Despite this declaration, enforcement was inconsistent and slow, particularly in Texas, where the lack of large-scale fighting and minimal Union troop presence allowed slavery to persist.
It wasn’t until April 1865, at the end of the Civil War, that U.S. General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas. On June 19, 1865, he read General Orders No. 3, announcing that “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” While the announcement did not bring instant freedom to all, it sparked celebrations among newly freed people. Slavery was not formally abolished nationwide until December 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment.
The following year, on June 19, 1866, newly freed Texans organized the first “Jubilee Day.” This tradition continued for decades, and in 1979, Texas made Juneteenth an official holiday. Other states followed suit, culminating in June 2021, when Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday by President Biden after Congress passed a resolution.
Juneteenth is a time to reflect on the struggles and achievements of Black Americans and to educate all citizens about the full history of the United States.
