Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating news of the Emancipation Proclamation reaching enslaved people in Texas, is around the corner.
Although Juneteenth celebrations were documented as early as 1866, it wasn’t officially recognized as a federal holiday until 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
But, despite it being a federal holiday, President Donald Trump removed Juneteenth from the National Park Service’s list of free days.
So, does this mean that Juneteenth is no longer a federal holiday? Will government employees still get the day off work?
Here’s what to know.
When is Juneteenth 2026?
Juneteenth is observed annually on June 19.
What day is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth will be observed Friday, June 19, this year.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday, the History Channel reports.
On Jan. 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all enslaved people in Confederate states would be freed. However, many enslavers ignored the order.
Texas was the last Confederate state to announce the proclamation on June 19, 1865, when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger informed a community in Galveston, Texas, that Lincoln had freed enslaved people two and a half years earlier, per USA Today.
The first known Juneteenth celebrations began in 1866 and spread across the country as African Americans migrated to new cities.
Where does the name ‘Juneteenth’ come from?
Juneteenth is a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” in honor of June 19, 1865 – the day Granger announced the abolition of slavery in Texas. The holiday is also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day.
Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?
Yes, Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when former President Joe Biden signed it into law.
Did Trump get rid of Juneteenth?
No. Trump alone does not have the power to cancel Juneteenth or any other federal holiday without an act of Congress. However, under the Trump administration, Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day have been removed from the list of fee-free days at all national parks.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Did Trump cancel Juneteenth? Is it still a federal holiday?
Reporting by Haadiza Ogwude, Cincinnati Enquirer / Cincinnati Enquirer
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
