Sen. Tina Smith marks Senate passage of bill to with call to 95-year-old Juneteenth activist Opal Lee

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Juneteenth is likely to soon be a national holiday.

The Senate voted by unanimous consent to pass a bill sponsored by Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN), Sens. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), Cory Booker (D-NJ), John Cornyn (R-TX) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

Juneteenth, observed on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the United States and is also known as “Emancipation Day,” “Jubilee Day,” and “Juneteenth Independence Day.” On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, which announced that in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation, “all slaves are free.” That order reached the enslaved Texans two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, when most enslaved Blacks were released from bondage.

To celebrate the passage of the bill Smith called Opal Lee, a 95-year-old activist and educator instrumental in the push to recognize the holiday, to share the news. One of the strongest advocates for declaring Juneteenth a federal holiday, Lee walked from Texas to Washington, D.C. raise awareness and petition signatures in support of Juneteenth.

“Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, and it should have been a federal holiday long ago. But today, we got it done in the Senate,” said Smith. “I want to thank Ms. Opal Lee, who walked across this country to raise support for Juneteenth as a federal holiday. I’ve been honored to support your moral cause here in the Senate with Senators Markey and Booker, and all our colleagues. Our country has a lot of work ahead to eradicate the trauma and impact of systemic racism, and Juneteenth is an important step on this journey.”

Juneteenth is currently recognized by 47 states and the District of Columbia as an official state holiday or observance. The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act would recognize the importance of this day nationwide.

Juneteenth close to becoming national holiday with help from Minnesota senator