Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

Juneteenth: Fact Sheet

Updated July 7, 2025 (R44865)
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Contents

Introduction

Background

Legislation

Federal Holiday Legislation

116th Congress

117th Congress

State Legislation

Selected Congressional Statements and Remarks

Selected Presidential Proclamations and Remarks

Government Resources

Nongovernment Resources

Related CRS Product

Tables

Table 1. State Laws That Commemorate or Observe Juneteenth

Table 2. States Where Juneteenth Is Observed as a Permanent Paid State and/or Legal Holiday

Summary

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.

Introduction

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, so Juneteenth became a symbolic date representing African American freedom.

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.

Background

June 19, 1865, marks the date that Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX, and announced the end of both the Civil War and slavery.¹ The announcement, General Order Number 3, reads as follows:

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.²

The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln, had legally freed the enslaved in Texas on January 1, 1863, almost 2½ years earlier.³ Even after General Order Number 3, some enslavers withheld the information from enslaved people, holding them enslaved through one more harvest season.⁴

Texans celebrated Juneteenth beginning in 1866 with community-centric events, such as parades, cookouts, prayer gatherings, historical and cultural readings, and musical performances. Juneteenth celebrations often included speeches to inspire and educate attendees about political action, like voting.⁵ Over time, communities have developed their own traditions.⁶ Some communities purchased land for Juneteenth celebrations, such as Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas.⁷ As families emigrated from Texas to other parts of the United States, they carried Juneteenth celebrations with them.⁸

On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth officially became a Texas state holiday.⁹ Al Edwards, a freshman state representative, put forward the bill, H.B. 1016, making Texas the first state to grant this emancipation celebration.¹⁰ Since then, the federal government, all 50 states, and the District of Columbia have also commemorated or recognized the day.

Legislation

The first known official movement to make Juneteenth a federal holiday began in 1994,¹¹ and the first congressional resolution recognizing Juneteenth Independence Day was introduced in the 105th Congress in 1997.¹² The Senate and House of Representatives have since introduced resolutions recognizing Juneteenth.

Recent Senate resolutions:

S.Res. 290 (119th Congress)

S.Res. 756 (118th Congress)

S.Res. 263 (118th Congress)

S.Res. 679 (117th Congress)

S.Res. 269 (117th Congress)

S.Res. 620 (116th Congress)

S.Res. 253 (116th Congress)

Recent House of Representatives resolutions:

H.Res. 1308 (118th Congress)

H.Res. 505 (118th Congress)

H.Res. 1182 (117th Congress)

H.Res. 480 (117th Congress)

H.Res. 1001 (116th Congress)

H.Res. 450 (116th Congress)

Federal Holiday Legislation

116th Congress

H.Res. 1001 to recognize June 19 as Juneteenth Independence Day was introduced on June 15, 2020.¹³ The resolution garnered 214 co-sponsors, and it led to the introduction of the first Juneteenth National Independence Day Act (H.R. 7232) on June 18, 2020. A subsequent Senate bill (S. 4019) was introduced on June 22, 2020. Neither bill was considered for a vote.

117th Congress

On February 25, 2021, H.R. 1320 and S. 475 were both introduced to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday. S. 475 passed the Senate by unanimous consent on June 15, 2021, and it passed the House by a vote of 415-14 on June 16, 2021. The bill was signed into law on June 17, 2021, and Juneteenth became the 12th federal holiday.¹⁴ Juneteenth National Independence Day is the first holiday to be added to the list of federal holidays since the 1983 recognition of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday.

State Legislation

In addition to the federal government recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday, all states and the District of Columbia have passed legislation recognizing it as a holiday or observance (see Table 1). At least 31 states along with the District of Columbia have designated Juneteenth as a permanent paid and/or legal holiday through legislation or executive action. Some states have made Juneteenth a paid holiday through a state statute that observes federal holidays or other days designated by the President as state holidays or by specifically directing the governor to make an annual proclamation (see Table 2). Other states have issued annual proclamations, decrees, or commemorations that designate Juneteenth as a paid holiday for a specific year.¹⁵ These states are not included in Table 2.

Table 1. State Laws That Commemorate or Observe Juneteenth

State

Year of First Observance

Citation

Alabama

2011

Al. SJR 157 (2011)

Alaska

2001

Alaska Stat. §44.12.090 (2001)

Arizona

2016

Ariz. Rev. Stat. §1-315 (2016)

Arkansas

2005

Ark. Code Ann. §1-5-114 (2005)

California

2003

Cal. Gov't Code §6719 (Deering 2003)

Colorado

2004

H.J. Res. 04-1027, 64th Gen. Assemb., 2nd Reg. Sess. (Co. 2004)

Connecticut

2003

Conn. Gen. Stat. §10-29a(a)(48) (2003)

Delaware

2000

Del. Code Ann. tit. 1, §604 (2000)

District of Columbia

2003

Res. 160, 15th Counsel, 2003 D.C.

Florida

1991

Fla. Stat. §683.21 (1991)

Georgia

2011

S.Res. 164, 151st Gen. Assemb., Reg. Sess (Ga. 1991)

Hawaii

2021

Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. §8-32

Idaho

2001

S. Con. Res. 101, 56th Leg., Reg. Sess. (Idaho 2001)

Illinois

2003

5 Ill. Comp. Stat. 490/63 (2003)

Indiana

2010

H. Con. Res. 38, 116th Gen. Assemb., 2d Reg. Sess. (Ind. 2010)

Iowa

2002

Iowa Code §1C.14 (2002)

Kansas

2007

S.Res. 1860, 82nd Leg., Reg. Sess. (Kan. 2007)

Kentucky

2005

Ky. Rev. Stat. §2.147 (2005)

Louisiana

2003

La. Stat. Ann. §1:58:2 (2003)

Maine

2011

Me. Stat. tit. 1, §150-H (2011)

Maryland

2014

Md. Code Ann., Gen. Prov. §7-411 (2014)

Massachusetts

2007

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 6, §15BBBBB (2007)

Michigan

2005

Mich. Comp. Laws §435.361 (2005)

Minnesota

1996

Minn. Stat. §10.55 (1996)

Mississippi

2010

S.Con.Res. 605, 2010 Leg., Reg. Sess. (Miss. 2010)

Missouri

2003

Mo. Rev. Stat. §9.161 (2003)

Montana

2017

Mont. Code Ann. §1-1-231 (2017)

Nebraska

2009

Leg. Res. 75, 101st Leg., Reg. Sess. (Neb. 2009)

Nevada

2011

Nev. Rev. Stat. §236.033 (2011)

New Hampshire

2019

N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §14:13-z (2019)

New Jersey

2004

N.J. Rev. Stat. §36:2-80 (2004)

New Mexico

2006

N.M. Stat. Ann. §12-5-14 (2006)

New York

2004

N.Y. Exec. Law §168-a(3) (2004)

North Carolina

2007

2007 N.C. Sess. Laws 450

North Dakota

2021

S.B. 2232, 67th Leg. Assemb., Reg. Sess. (N.D. 2021)

Ohioa

2006

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §5.2234 (2006)

Oklahoma

1994

Okla. Stat. tit. 25, §82.4 (1994)

Oregon

2001

S.J. Res. 31, 71st Leg. Assemb. (Or. 2001)

Pennsylvania

2019

2019 Pa. ALS 9

Rhode Island

2012

S.B. 2262, 2011-2012 Leg. Sess. (R.I. 2012)

South Carolina

2008

S.C. Code Ann. §53-3-85 (2008)

South Dakota

2022

S.D. Codified Law §1-5-1 (2022)

Tennessee

2007

2007 Bill Text TN H.J.R. 170

Texas

1980

Tex. Gov't Code Ann. §662.003 (1980)

Utah

2016

Utah Code Ann. §63G-1-401(1)(g) (2016)

Vermont

2007

Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 1, §375 (2007)

Virginia

2007

H.Res. 56, 2007 Sess. (Va. 2007)

Washington

2007

Wash. Rev. Code §1.16.050(1)(f) (2007)

West Virginia

2008

H.Res. 19, 78th Leg., 2d Sess. (W. Va. 2008)

Wisconsin

2009

Wis. Stat. §995.20 (2009)

Wyoming

2003

Wyo. Stat. Ann. §8-4-107 (2003)

Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Notes: This table includes the first instance of a state's recognition of Juneteenth or the first legislation that established Juneteenth as a state holiday. It excludes legislation adopted by states after the initial observation year. For example, Kansas adopted multiple resolutions, such as S.Res. 1866 (2007), S.Res. 1888 (2009), S.Res. 1865 (2011), and S.Res. 1754 (2015), subsequent to the original commemoration.
Bolded legislation citations denote that the legislation established Juneteenth as a state holiday. This includes days of observance and does not necessarily mean that they are legal holidays. Nonbolded legislation citations are commemorations or recognitions of the day's significance.

a. Ohio enacted a bill in 2006 to recognize September 22 as a state holiday called Emancipation Day. In 2021, Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §5.2447 became effective, designating June 19 as Juneteenth and making it a legal holiday.

Table 2. States Where Juneteenth Is Observed as a Permanent Paid State and/or Legal Holiday

State

Year Enacted

Citation

Alabamaa

2025

Alabama Code §1-3-8

Alaska

2024

Alaska Stat. §44.12.090

California

2022

Cal. Gov. Code §6700 (2022)

Colorado

2022

Colo. Rev. Stat §24-11-101 (2022)

Connecticut

2022

Conn. Gen. Stat. §1-4a (2022) =

Delaware

2021

Del. Code Ann. tit. 1, §501 (2022)

District of Columbiab

2021

D.C. Code §1-612.02(a) (2022)

Georgiac

2022

Ga. Code Ann. §1-4-1 (2022)

Idahoc

2021

Idaho Code §73-108 (2022)

Illinois

2021

5 Ill. Comp. Stat. 490/63 (2022)

Louisiana

2021

La. Rev. Stat. Ann. §1:55.1 (2022)

Maine

2022

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 5, §59 (2022)

Maryland

2022

Md. Ann. Code Art. GP, §1-111 (2022)

Massachusettsd

2021

Mass. Ann. Laws ch. 6, §15BBBBB (2022)

Michigan

2023

Mich. Comp. Laws §435.381 (2023)

Minnesota

2023

Minn. Stat. §10.55 (2023)

Missourice

2013

Mo. Rev. Stat. §9.015 (2013)

Nebraska

2022

Neb. Rev. Stat. Ann. §62-301 (2022)

Nevadaf

2023

Nev. Rev. Stat. §236.033 (2023)

New Jersey

2021

N.J. Stat. §11A:6-24.1 (2022)

New York

2021

N.Y. Gen. Constr. Law §24 (Consol. 2022)

Ohio

2021

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. §1.14 (2022)

Oregon

2021

Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. §187.010 (2021)

Pennsylvania

2019

Penn. P.L. 34, No.9 (2019)

Rhode Island

2023

R.I. Gen. Laws §25-3-1 (2023)

South Dakota

2022

S.D. Codified Laws §1-5-1 (2022)

Tennessee

2023

Tenn. Stat. Ann. §15-1-101 (2025) =

Texas

1980

Tex. Gov't Code §662.003 (2022)

Utah

2022

Utah Code Ann. §63G-1-301 (2022)

Vermont

2024

2024 Vt. S. 206 (2024)

Virginia

2020

Va. Code Ann. §2.2-3300 (2022)

Washington

2022

Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §1.16.050 (2022)

Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service (CRS).

Notes: This list represents states where Juneteenth has been designated as a permanent paid state and/or legal holiday by state legislation or executive action. It does not include paid state holidays issued annually by proclamations, decrees, or commemorations. New Mexico is not included in this list. Juneteenth is not included in New Mexico's list of legal holidays in N.M. Stat. Ann. §12-5-2. It was established in 2006 N.M. Stat. Ann. §12-5-14 as a day of commemoration and observance, and New Mexico's state personnel office has added Juneteenth to the list of paid state holidays on an annual basis, most recently in 2025 through General Memorandum 2024-007.

a. The Alabama legislature passed H.B. 165 in May 2025 to amend Alabama Code §1-3-8.

b. See the Technical Amendments Act of 2022, where Juneteenth National Independence Day has been added to the list of legal holidays.

c. Juneteenth was first observed as a paid state holiday through a state statute that recognizes federal holidays or other days designated by the President.

d. The Massachusetts statute states, "The governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the nineteenth of June as Juneteenth Independence Day.…"

e. The Missouri legislature also passed a bill (H.B. 1738, 101st Gen. Assemb, 2nd Reg. Sess.) that made Juneteenth the 13th legal holiday in the state. Mo. Rev. Stat. §9.010 went into effect on August 28, 2022.

f. The Nevada statute states, "The Governor shall annually proclaim June 19 to be 'Juneteenth Day'.... "

Selected Congressional Statements and Remarks

Members of Congress often make floor statements, issue press releases, or enter Extensions of Remarks into the Congressional Record to recognize federal holidays and observances. The following are some recent examples that may be of assistance in preparing such statements:

Representative Al Green, "Juneteenth and Slavery Rememberance Day," Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 170 (June 28, 2024), pp. H4430-H4431.

Representative Bruce Westerman, "Recognizing a Historic First-Time Celebration of Juneteenth in the Bluff," Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 170 (June 26, 2024), pp. H4155-H4156.

Representative Don Davis, "Celebrating Juneteenth," Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 170 (June 25, 2024), p. H4143.

Senator John Cornyn, "Juneteenth National Independence Day (Executive Session)," Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 170 (June 18, 2024), pp. S4124-S4125.

Representative Al Green, "Recognizing Juneteenth and Slavery Remembrance Day," remarks in the House, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 169 (June 23, 2023), pp. H3137-H3140.

Representative Aumua Amata, "Amata Celebrates Juneteenth's Message of Freedom" (June 15, 2023). Retrieved from the official website of Representative Amata.

Senator Martin Heinrich, "Heinrich Statement on Juneteenth 2023" (June 15, 2023). Retrieved from the official YouTube channel of Senator Heinrich.

Representative Barry Loudermilk, "Honoring Juneteenth as a National Holiday," Extensions of Remarks, Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 168 (June 14, 2022), p. E617.

Representative Ayanna Pressley, "Celebrating Juneteenth," Congressional Record, daily edition, vol. 168 (June 15, 2022), p. H5593.

Selected Presidential Proclamations and Remarks

One of the many uses of a presidential proclamation is to ceremoniously honor a group or call attention to certain issues or events. Some proclamations and remarks commemorating Juneteenth from the Compilation of Presidential Documents include the following:

Statements and Messages by the President—Donald J. Trump (2025-)¹⁶

Statements and Messages by the President—Joseph R. Biden Jr. (2021-2024)

Statements and Messages by the President—Donald J. Trump (2017-2020)¹⁷

Statements and Messages by the President—Barack H. Obama (2009-2016)

Statements and Messages by the President—George W. Bush (2002-2008)

Government Resources

Numerous resources provide information on the history and culture of the holiday, including the following:

National Museum of African American History & Culture, "The Historical Legacy of Juneteenth." This blog post provides a brief history of Juneteenth.

Smithsonian, "Juneteenth: Our Other Independence Day." This blog post includes pictures of Major General George Granger and the house from which he read General Order No 3.

Library of Congress, "The Birth of Juneteenth; Voices of the Enslaved." This blog post includes links to several interviews with formerly enslaved people about their memories of gaining their freedom.

Library of Congress, "Voices Remembering Slavery: Freed People Tell Their Stories." This collection houses oral histories of 23 formerly enslaved people recorded between 1932 and 1975.

National Archives and Records Administration, "National Archives Safeguards Original 'Juneteenth' General Order." A short blog post that includes an image of handwritten General Order No. 3.

National Archives and Records Administration, "The Emancipation Proclamation." Images of the original, handwritten document.

Nongovernment Resources

Texas State Historical Association, "Juneteenth." A longer narrative of the history of Juneteenth.

Washington Post, "What is Juneteenth? Emancipation history with photos." An interactive news story highlighting the history of Juneteenth.

New York Times, "So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?" A primer on celebrating Juneteenth.

New York Times, "Hot Links and Red Drinks: The Rich Food Tradition of Juneteenth."

Related CRS Product

CRS Report R43539, Commemorations in Congress: Options for Honoring Individuals, Groups, and Events, coordinated by Jacob R. Straus.

Footnotes

1.

Teresa Palomo Acosta, "Juneteenth," Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Society, March 26, 2024.
Available at https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/juneteenth.

2.

Billy R. Glasco, Jr., "Juneteenth: The Celebration of a New Freedom in America," Rediscovering Black History (blog), National Archives, June 16, 2021. Available at https://rediscovering-black-history.blogs.archives.gov/2021/06/16/juneteenth-the-celebration-of-a-new-freedom-in-america/.

3.

Ibid.

4.

Elizabeth Nix, "What is Juneteenth?," History.com, June 11, 2024.
Available at https://www.history.com/news/what-is-juneteenth.

5.

Teresa Palomo Acosta, "Juneteenth," Handbook of Texas, Texas State Historical Society, March 26, 2024.
Available at https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/juneteenth.

6.

Ibid.

7.

Ibid.

8.

Ibid.

9.

Ibid.

10.

Paul DeBenedetto, "Former State Rep. Al Edwards, Who Helped Make Juneteenth A State Holiday, Dies At 83," Houston Public Media, April 30, 2020. Available at https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/texas/2020/04/30/368361/former-state-rep-al-edwards-who-helped-make-juneteenth-a-state-holiday-dies-at-83/.

11.

National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, "History of the Modern Juneteenth Movement." Available https://web.archive.org/web/20230323021301/https://pajuneteenth.org/national-juneteenth-observance-foundation-njof/

12.

S.J.Res. 11.

13.

House Rule XII, Clause 5 prohibits date-specific commemorative legislation, and the passage of H.Res. 1001 required waiving House Rule XII by unanimous consent.

14.

P.L. 117-17, June 17, 2021; 5 U.S.C. §6103(a). See Table 2.

15.

For example, see State of Alabama 2022 Official State Holidays noting the holiday upon designation by the governor and Ala. Code §1-3-8 listing the state's holidays; Michigan governor proclamation specific to June 19, 2022, and Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. §435.101 listing state holidays; New Mexico State Personnel Board memorandum on state holidays and N.M. Stat. Ann. §12-5-2 listing public holidays for the state; and West Virginia governor proclamation specific to June 17, 2002, and W. Va. Stat. Ann. §2-2-1 listing legal holidays for the state.

16.

Link provides access to proclamations and remarks made by President Trump during both of his nonconsecutive terms, where available.

17.

Link provides access to proclamations and remarks made by President Trump during both of his nonconsecutive terms, where available.