America celebrates Juneteenth

America observes Juneteenth on Monday, June 19. The holiday recognizes the last day enslaved African Americans learned they were free, which was two months after the end of the Civil War and more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

President Joe Biden signed a law designating Juneteenth as the 12th federal holiday in the United States in 2021.  

As a federal holiday, there will be no mail delivery by the United States Postal Service on Monday. Regular mail service will resume on Tuesday, June 20.  Most banks can expect to be closed on Monday, June 19, as well, as the federal bank reserve observes Juneteenth.  

While Juneteenth is a federal holiday, not every state observes it as an official state holiday. Mississippi is one of those states where Juneteenth is not officially observed at the state level.

At least 28 states and the District of Columbia will officially observe Juneteenth. State workers in Tennessee, Alabama, and Louisiana will have the day off as a paid state holiday, but those in Mississippi and Arkansas will not.  In 2010, Mississippi started recognizing it as an observance.

Credit the Pew Research Center for information about states recognizing Juneteenth as an official public holiday. 

Click here to learn more about Juneteenth and how it became a federal national holiday.