Congressman Cohen to Commemorate Juneteenth Federal Holiday

WASHINGTON -- Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) will celebrate Juneteenth, which commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, as a federal holiday on Thursday, June 19. Juneteenth recognizes the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved Texans that “all slaves are free” and that the Civil War had ended. The emancipated residents of Galveston celebrated that day and, over the years, its popularity as a holiday spread across the country and became an annual tradition.

In June of 2021, Congress passed a resolution Congressman Cohen co-sponsored to establish the federal holiday. President Biden signed it into law on June 17, 2021, and Juneteenth was first celebrated as a federal holiday the next day. 

Congressman Cohen made the following statement:

“I have long celebrated Juneteenth and the historic anniversary it commemorates. I am very pleased to see it is on our calendars as a national holiday. I was proud to cosponsor the measure which, like the apology for slavery and Jim Crow Era discrimination I introduced and passed in 2008, sends an important message about facing the sometimes-difficult truths of our history and finding a way to celebrate our advance toward progress and freedom. I hope all will find the holiday inspiring.” 

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