Juneteenth

A NATIONAL HOLIDAY - A PROCLAMATION ON JUNETEENTH DAY OF OBSERVANCE

On June 19, 1865 — nearly nine decades after our Nation’s founding, and more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free from bondage. As those who were formerly enslaved were recognized for the first time as citizens, Black Americans came to commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations across the country, building new lives and a new tradition that we honor today. In its celebration of freedom, Juneteenth is a day that should be recognized by all Americans. And that is why I am proud to have consecrated Juneteenth as our newest national holiday.

Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power.

A day in which we remember the moral stain and terrible toll of slavery on our country –- what I’ve long called America’s original sin. A long legacy of systemic racism, inequality, and inhumanity.

But it is a day that also reminds us of our incredible capacity to heal, hope, and emerge from our darkest moments with purpose and resolve.

- Joseph R. Biden Jr.

PITTSBURGH CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH FREEDOM DAY

Pittsburgh will celebrate the Western Pennsylvania Juneteenth Homecoming Celebration June 17-19, 2022 in Point State Park and Market Square! This free, family-friendly event is a Celebration of all Cities and Boroughs in Allegheny County and will feature African American Culture Education, speakers, live music and local vendors!

For more information and details about other events visit Juneteenth 2022 - Pittsburgh, PA.

SWISSVALE CELEBRATES JUNETEETH

Swissvale was one of the first boroughs in Allegheny County to recognize Juneteenth as an official holiday in June of 2019. In 2020, the Borough approved Resolution 20-10 recognizing it as an annual day of celebration in Swissvale. This year, the Juneteenth Celebration will take place at Les Getz Memorial Park from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 18th. Activities will include music, vendors, a local artist exhibition and a writing contest.

4 MEANINGFUL WAYS TO CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH THIS YEAR

“It’s not just a Black holiday,” said Alicia Austion, executive director of the Juneteenth Foundation. “It’s a national holiday, an American holiday that we all should lean in and really acknowledge and support.” In her Washington Post article, Janay Kingsberry asks activists and organizers to share ways Americans can honor Juneteenth.

BUILDING A JUNETEENTH MENU FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, ONE RECIPE AT A TIME

The New York Times presents the cookbook author Nicole Taylor as she reflects on her journey to create a collection of Juneteenth recipes that revel in the breadth of the African American experience. This Juneteenth menu includes watermelon ginger beer, peach- and molasses-smothered chicken, a verdent coleslaw and a simple but delicious strawberry-sumac cake.

OPAL LEE, THE GRANDMOTHER OF JUNETEENTH

Ms. Opal is a voice of history with a message for the future. Many consider her the "Grandmother of Juneteenth" but if you ask her who she is, she will tell you she's "just a little old lady in tennis shoes getting in everybody's business."

Celebrate Juneteenth 2022 with her. Read more about her. Order her new book.

JUNETEENTH.COM

The understanding and excitement of Juneteenth is growing at a phenomenal rate. Cities and States all across the U.S. and beyond are realizing the wonderful opportunity we have to come together in appreciation, reconciliation and commemoration. During Juneteenth we acknowledge the African American spirit and pay tribute to the roles and contributions which have enriched our society. The JUNETEENTH.com website provides a channel in which to connect and unite all whom share the vision of this celebration.

THE HISTORICAL LEGACY OF JUNETEENTH - NMAAHC

Emancipation Day celebration, June 19, 1900 held in %22East Woods%22 on East 24th Street in Austin. Credit: Austin History Center

Juneteenth is an often overlooked event in our nation’s history. On June 19, 1865, Union troops freed enslaved African Americans in Galveston Bay and across Texas some two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Visit The National Museum of African American History and Culture to read this story and others about Juneteenth.

BLACK LEADERS CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH - THE CBS MORNINGS PODCAST

From June 2021, Author Jason Reynolds, musician Maimouna Youssef and teacher Christopher Emdin honor Juneteenth with short essays that they wrote and performed. Only on the CBS This Morning Podcast, Jericka Duncan facilitates a conversation with all three artists about their work, and what Juneteenth means to them personally. The group discusses why this day - the emancipation of the last remaining enslaved African Americans in the Confederacy on June 19, 1865 - is so important.