Skip to main content
U.S.

5 ways to commemorate Juneteenth in 2022

Jun 17, 2022

Share

Federal agencies and corporations were left scrambling last year to give their employees the day off when Congress passed a bill making Juneteenth a national holiday and President Joe Biden signed it into law. It’s the first federal holiday created since Martin Luther King Jr. Day nearly four decades ago. 

June 19, 1865, commemorates the day enslaved Blacks in Galveston, Texas, received word they were free. This news came 2 ½ years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. 

Blacks have been commemorating this day for more than 150 years in Texas, and now the rest of America will participate. 

Here are five ways you can observe Juneteenth this year:

  1. Attend a Freedom Day event
  1. Visit a local or national museum of African American history
  1. Support a Black-owned business 
  1. Watch an educational documentary or TV special on Juneteenth
  1. Read and educate yourself on the history of the holiday

JIMMIE JOHNSON: IN A RARE BIPARTISAN WIN – CONGRESS PASSED LEGISLATION LAST YEAR MAKING JUNE 19TH – JUNETEENTH — A FEDERAL HOLIDAY.

IT COMMEMORATES WHEN THE LAST BLACKS ENSLAVED IN GALVESTON, TEXAS, RECEIVED WORD THEY WERE FREE.   

AND WITH A STROKE OF A PEN…

BIDEN: “Alright!” (clapping)

JIMMIE: PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S SIGNATURE TURNED THAT BILL IMMEDIATELY INTO LAW. 

FEDERAL AGENCIES AND COMPANIES SCRAMBLED  TO MAKE LAST-MINUTE ACCOMMODATIONS TO GIVE EMPLOYEES THE DAY OFF. 

BUT NOW THEY’VE HAD A YEAR TO STRAIGHTEN ALL OF THAT OUT. 

HERE ARE FIVE WAYS YOU CAN OBSERVE JUNETEENTH THIS YEAR: 

  1. ATTEND A FREEDOM DAY EVENT
  2. VISIT A LOCAL OR NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY
  3. SUPPORT A BLACK-OWNED BUSINESS
  4. WATCH AN EDUCATIONAL DOCUMENTARY OR TV SPECIAL ON JUNETEENTH
  5. READ AND EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE HISTORY OF THE HOLIDAY

AFTER ALL, IT’S NOT JUST BLACK HISTORY BUT AMERICAN HISTORY.  

A HOLIDAY TEXANS HAVE BEEN CELEBRATING FOR MORE THAN 150 YEARS. 

HOW DO YOU PLAN TO OBSERVE JUNETEENTH? 

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.