The House of Representatives on Wednesday easily approved legislation to commemorate Juneteenth, the national remembrance of the end of chattel slavery in the United States, as a federal holiday (article available here). The bill now heads to President Biden's desk.
Juneteenth gets its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth," the day that Gen. Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, bearing a message of freedom for the slaves there. Upon his arrival, he read out General Order Number 3, informing the residents that slavery would no longer be tolerated; all slaves were now free and would henceforth be treated as hired workers if they chose to remain on the plantations, according to the Juneteenth website.
Juneteenth celebrations have grown in popularity in recent years, as the national conversation has shifted to more critically examine the role of enslaved Black people in building the country's physical and economic infrastructure, as well as how racism against Blacks and other minorities has been foundational to American society.