Juneteenth state holiday law
What is Juneteenth ? The push to make it a State Holiday
Juneteenth is a 155-year-old holiday, which recognizes the effective end of slavery in the United States.
- QA
Juneteenth the date in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger informed slaves in Galveston, Texas, of their emancipation.
Since Juneteenth is not a national holiday, many leaders and companies across the United States recently announced they would celebrate June 19 as a paid company holiday. This is the case for close to two dozen major law firms, that have announced work holidays on June 19—also known as Emancipation Day.
What is Juneteenth?
In 1863, during the American Civil War, Pres. Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than three million slaves living in the Confederate states to be free. More than two years would pass, however, before the news reached African Americans living in Texas. It was not until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, that the state’s residents finally learned that slavery had been abolished. The former slaves immediately began to celebrate with prayer, feasting, song, and dance.
The following year, on June 19, the first official Juneteenth celebrations took place in Texas. The original observances included prayer meetings and the singing of spirituals, and celebrants wore new clothes as a way of representing their newfound freedom. Within a few years, African Americans in other states were celebrating the day as well, making it an annual tradition. Celebrations have continued across the United States into the 21st century and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing.
“We was all walkin’ on golden clouds….Everybody went wild...We was free. Just like that we was free.”
Why is it important?
In many ways, Juneteenth represents how freedom and justice in the US has always been delayed for black people. he decades after the end of the war would see a wave of lynching, imprisonment, and Jim Crow laws take root. What followed was the disproportionate impact of mass incarceration, discriminatory housing policies, and a lack of economic investment. And now, as national attention remain focused on acts of police violence and various racial profiling incidents, it is clear that while progress has been made in black America’s 150 years out of bondage, considerable barriers continue to impede that progress.
Is Juneteenth a national holiday?
It is not. In recent years, former president Barack Obama and even current President Donald Trump have both issued statements of observance for the Juneteenth holiday, but efforts to make it an official federal holiday has not succeeded in Congress.
As of today, 47 US States passed legislation recognizing Juneteenth as either a state holiday or day of observance. (Hawaii, North Dakota and South Dakota are the only states that do not recognize the holiday).
Why are law firms encouraging employees to observe the holiday?
A slew of Big Law firms, including Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, Sidley Austin, Morrison & Foerster, Ropes & Gray, and Ogletree Deakins have become the latest to declare Juneteenth a firmwide holiday, encouraging their workforces to take a full day off.
“The day should be marked to provide a time of deep reflection for all Americans, not just persons and communities of color, and not just in 2020, but going forward,” said Paul Weiss chairman Brad Karp. “If our nation’s history has taught us anything, it is that the fight for racial justice is never-ending, filled with daunting challenges and obstacles, and we must never let down our guard. Commemorating Juneteenth each year is an important step in the quest for racial justice, in my view.”
The news might appear cynical given the enduring racial imbalances in the legal industry – particularly when it comes to African Americans, and particularly at the partner level. Similarly, an October 2019 survey by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association showed that black lawyers account for just 4.83% of associates and 1.94% of equity partners in law firms.
The same skepticism has been pointed out for big corporations: while many have been quick to adopt the movement’s hashtag, only four out of America’s 500 biggest companies had a black chief executive.
Is it time to declare Juneteenth a federal holiday?
"The goal of America is freedom, abused and scorned tho' we may be, our destiny is tied up with America's destiny."
Yes. If you are in the United States right now, the wave of protests sweeping the country since the deaths of George Flyod, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery are pushing Americans into a dramatic moment of self-examination. For the first time, white people are confronted to the systemic racism and racial inequality endured by the black community.
While there is many overdue measures and legislation needed to address America history of racism, declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday would demonstrate America’s recognition of its past – and its commitment to the future of its Black citizens.
America is facing deep division on almost every issue imaginable. Declaring Juneteenth a national holiday would provide an opportunity for all Americans to acknowledge, together, the past, present, and future of the Black Community. It took two years for the men and women who were enslaved in Texas to learn that they had been freed and another century for the United States to prohibit racial segregation.
With that in mind, it is perhaps time to dedicate a day to the legacy of emancipation – not as an aspect of history, but also as a call to action.
Juneteenth state holiday law
Juneteenth state holiday law
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Juneteenth state holiday law
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