BEDFORD – Today is Juneteenth, the federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the US.
Many businesses, post offices and schools will be closed today as the nation celebrates the profound achievements of African Americans over the past 158 years.
Almost 40% of US employers now provide Juneteenth as a paid holiday, a significant increase from just 9% two years ago, according to data from HR consulting firm Mercer.
Juneteenth is observed annually on June 19 to remember the day when Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger told enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, that they had been liberated on June 19, 1865 — nearly three years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to end slavery in the US.
It became a federal holiday in 2021 after President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.
The United States Post Office will be closed and will not deliver mail on Monday. Juneteenth is a banking holiday observed by the Federal Reserve. That means most major banks are closed today. Nasdaq and the New York Stock Exchange will not be trading on Juneteenth. Federal offices and schools will also be closed on Juneteenth.
Most major retailers and grocery stores will be open on Juneteenth.
In honor, members of the Black community and allies will participate in joyful festivities today while vowing to continue the fight for equity and justice.
