R44865 — Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. It is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Juneteenth Independence Day, Black Independence Day, and, by statute, Juneteenth National Independence Day. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery. Although the Emancipation Proclamation came 2½ years earlier on January 1, 1863, many enslavers continued to hold enslaved Black people captive after the announcement. Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African-American freedom. Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. All 50 states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or observance, and at least 31 states and the District of Columbia have designated Juneteenth as a permanent paid and/or legal holiday through legislation or executive action. This fact sheet assists congressional offices with work related to Juneteenth. It contains sample speeches and remarks from the Congressional Record, presidential proclamations and remarks, and selected historical and cultural resources.

Curated by CRS — every bill listed in this report's relatedMaterials. Edge type cited_in_report, gold confidence.

• SRES 290 — A resolution commemorating June 19, 2025, as "Juneteenth National Independence Day" in recognition o · 119th Cong
• HRES 1308 — Recognizing June 19, 2024, as this year's observance of the historical significance of Juneteenth In · 118th Cong
• SRES 756 — A resolution designating June 19, 2024, as "Juneteenth Independence Day" in recognition of June 19, · 118th Cong
• HRES 505 — Recognizing June 19, 2023, as this year's observance of the historical significance of Juneteenth In · 118th Cong
• SRES 263 — A resolution commemorating June 19, 2023, as "Juneteenth National Independence Day" in recognition o · 118th Cong