Juneteenth is the longest-running African American holiday and it commemorates the abolition of slavery in the United States.

It is an abbreviation for “June Nineteenth,” the day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and ensure the freedom of all enslaved people.

The troops arrived two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. 

On June 17, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed a bill making Juneteenth a legal public holiday. 

 

Juneteenth History

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, during the American Civil War, announcing the freedom of more than three million slaves residing in the Confederate states but slavery had remained relatively unaffected in Texas until  Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, stood on its soil, and delivered General Order No. 3 announcing the end of legalized slavery in Texas and freeing the remaining over 200,000 Black people who were still enslaved in the state.

Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth a holiday in 1980 and other states followed slowly; Florida adopted a Juneteenth holiday in 1991, Oklahoma in 1994, and Minnesota in 1996. Between 2000 and 2009, 31 states enacted the holiday, and another 13 did so in the decade that followed. The day is now recognized in some form in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

People of African origin have historically celebrated Juneteenth in the United States, as well as in Nigeria, Canada, Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and other nations throughout the world. Juneteenth is also a “symbolic day” for the African American struggle for freedom and equality, as well as a day to celebrate family and community.

The celebration takes place with songs, parades, praises, and festivals marking the emancipation of enslaved Black people. A red, green, and black flag, resembling the Pan-African Flag or the Black Liberation Flag, is typically flown by Black people during the celebration.

The original Juneteenth flag was created by an activist and the founder of the National Juneteenth Celebration Foundation, Ben Haith in 1997.

Do you know you can celebrate Juneteenth by supporting black business marketplace.

List of States that do not Observe Juneteenth as a Paid Holiday

Despite being recognized by the government, some Black activists are beginning to recognize that gaining local support might be more difficult. While every state has recognized Juneteenth as a day of remembrance at some point, 26 states are yet to make it a paid public holiday.

The change from an unofficial holiday to a formal holiday for most federal employees started in Texas, more than a century ago. 50 states and the District of Columbia now either commemorate or observe Juneteenth but 23 states observe it as a permanent paid state holiday. 

The number of states that haven’t made Juneteenth a public holiday is expected to decrease in 2023 as Connecticut will legally recognize it as a state holiday on June 19, 2023. Also, a few other states are considering making the day an official holiday.

The reasons for the delay differ from state to state. In certain regions, this is owing to a slow bureaucracy while in some others, it is owing to disagreements over when the holiday should be observed.

 

The Table below shows the year each state and the District of Columbia  observed Juneteenth as an observance or holiday

S/N	State	First Year of Recognition	First Year of Paid Holiday
1	Alabama	2011
2	Alaska	2001
3	Arizona	2016
4	Arkansas	2005
5	California	2003
6	Colorado	2004	2022
7	Connecticut	2003	2023
8	Delaware	2000	2022
9	District of Columbia	2003	2021
10	Florida	1991
11	Georgia	2011	2022
12	Hawaii	2021
13	Idaho	2001	2021
14	Illinois	2003	2021
15	Indiana	2010
16	Iowa	2002
17	Kansas	2007
18	Kentucky	2005
19	Louisiana	2003	2022
20	Maine	2011	2022
21	Maryland	2014	2022
22	Massachusetts	2007	2021
23	Michigan	2005	2022
24	Minnesota	1996
25	Mississippi	2010
26	Missouri	2003	2022
27	Montana	2017
28	Nebraska	2009	2022
29	Nevada	2011
30	New Hampshire	2019
31	New Jersey	2004	2021
32	New Mexico	2006	2022
33	New York	2004	2020
34	North Carolina	2007
35	North Dakota	2021
36	Ohio	2006	2021
37	Oklahoma	1914
38	Oregon	2001	2022
39	Pennsylvania	2019
40	Rhode Island	2012
41	South Carolina	2008
42	South Dakota	2020	2022
43	Tennessee	2007
44	Texas	1980	1980
45	Utah	2016	2022
46	Vermont	2007
47	Virginia	2007	2020
48	Washington	2007	2022
49	West Virginia	2008	2021
50	Wisconsin	2009
51	Wyoming	2003

Note: Red highlights the states that are yet to declare Juneteenth a paid holiday.

The lack of a paid holiday in these states might prevent workers from taking time off to mark the celebration of Juneteenth and this reflects the degree to which the state government shows concern and advancement in the fight for racial justice. 

Check here for a list of states that has declared Juneteenth as a public holiday.