Slavery was not formally abolished in the United States until the passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction." It passed the Senate on April 8, 1864, and the House on January 31, 1865. On February 1, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln approved the Joint Resolution of Congress submitting the proposed amendment to the state legislatures for ratification. This occurred on December 6, 1865.
Juneteenth has come to recognize the end of slavery in the United States and to celebrate the culture and achievements of African Americans. It became a state holiday in Texas in 1980, joined by other states since then. This year Virginia and New York followed suit and today 47 of the 50 states and the District of Columbia have recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or an informal ceremonial day of observance. The three states that do not recognize Juneteenth are Hawaii, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
For quite some time now activists and organizations such as the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation have been pressuring the US Congress to recognize Juneteenth as a national holiday. I think the time has come to make it official, now more so than ever. Write to your Congressional representatives and show your support.
No comments:
Post a Comment