It’s Juneteenth Day, a commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U. S. and the achievements of African Americans. The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) says that nineteen states, plus the District of Columbia, now recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. At least eleven more mark it in some fashion, such as a legislative resolution or gubernatorial proclamation.
Despite petitions from NJOF and allied organizations, however, President Bush has refused to issue a Presidential Proclamation recognizing Juneteenth Day. He has sent a message “to all those observing Juneteenth,” but this seems a half measure when you consider the other days and weeks that have received full proclamations: “America Recycles Day,” “Wright Brothers Day,” and “National Character Counts Week,” not to mention politically charged days like “National Sanctity of Human Life Day.”
President Bush’s reluctance is even stranger considering he is the former governor of Texas, where the holiday originated. June 19th honors the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, bringing news of the Emancipation Proclamation and the end of the Civil War. Juneteenth has been an official state holiday in Texas since 1980.
Despite the lack of presidential support, local observances continue to grow. Freedom is worth celebrating.