On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill that would make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
The holiday — celebrated on June 19 — marks the day in 1865 when Gen. Gordon Granger and thousands of federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce the Civil War had ended and to ensure all slaves be freed. Although President Abraham Lincoln declared all slaves shall be freed more than two years earlier, his Emancipation Proclamation was ignored by Confederate states and not enforced in the South until the end of the war.
- RELATED: Beshear signs Juneteenth National Day of Freedom Proclamation
- RELATED: Lynch, Tribble sign Juneteenth proclamation
While there have long been calls to make Juneteenth a federal holiday, the movement took on renewed significance in the wake of the killing of 46-year-old George Floyd in Minneapolis.
When a group of senators tried last year to pass the bill by unanimous consent, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wisconsin) was the only lawmaker to object. At the time, he argued the day off for federal employees would cost taxpayers millions of dollars. On Tuesday, he released a statement indicating he would no longer block the measure.
“Although I strongly support celebrating Emancipation, I objected to the cost and lack of debate,” Johnson said in a press release. “While it still seems strange that having taxpayers provide federal employees paid time off is now required to celebrate the end of slavery, it is clear that there is no appetite in Congress to further discuss the matter. Therefore, I do not intend to object.”
The bill now heads to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to be approved, and then to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature.
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
