Juneteenth is the Newest Federal Holiday. Here’s What it Celebrates.

Juneteenth is the Newest Federal Holiday. Here’s What it Celebrates.

Milwaukee, Wisconsin USA – June 19th, 2021: African American drummer band participating and marching in Juneteenth celebration parade. (Shutterstock) By Sydney Combs, National Geographic Known to some as the country’s “second Independence Day,” Juneteenth celebrates the freedom of enslaved people in the United States at the end of the Civil War. For more than 150 […]

Opal Lee Fought to Make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday. Her Fight Isn’t Over.

The beloved “Grandmother of Juneteenth” reflects on freedom a year after the day became nationally recognized.

Opal Lee Fought to Make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday. Her Fight Isn’t Over.

By Taryn Finley, Huff Post This June 19 marks the second year the United States has observed Juneteenth as a national holiday. That’s in large part due to the work and dedication of 95-year-old Opal Lee, who played a major role in putting pressure on legislators to acknowledge a significant day Black folks in America […]