Why is Juneteenth so important?

Juneteenth (officially Juneteenth National Independence Day and also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day) is a federal holiday in the United States.

It is celebrated to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved black Americans.

Juneteenth is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture.

Why is Juneteenth so important?

To the African America, Juneteenth is important because it serves as a reminder to them of what they have come through and to a large extent, what they can achieve.

Generally, Juneteenth, or “Freedom Day” is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

Juneteenth is considered the “longest running African-American holiday” and has been called “America’s second Independence Day.”

Celebrations of Juneteenth dates back to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas.

It then spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival.

The day was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.

Participants in the Great Migration out of the South carried their celebrations to other parts of the country.

During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, these celebrations were eclipsed by the nonviolent determination to achieve civil rights, but grew in popularity again in the 1970s with a focus on African American freedom and African-American arts.