Juneteenth becomes US holiday
The House of Representatives on Wednesday voted overwhelmingly to create a federal holiday commemorating Juneteenth, which until now has been the unofficial fete marking the end of slavery in the United States. The bill now heads to President Joe Biden for his signature. Most US states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or officially observe the day, but the bill passed by Congress would make Juneteenth the 12th US federal holiday. Juneteenth National Independence Day is commemorated on June 19 to celebrate the day in 1865 when the last enslaved African Americans learned that they were free.
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