The U.S. House of Representatives has the chance to send President Joe Biden a bill that would recognize June 19 or Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Cities and states have already begun recognizing the holiday. In Thomasville, this Juneteenth is recognized as a paid holiday. The city council has also pledged to make sure that information is shared about the significance of the date. The day commemorates the anniversary of the announcement that the Civil War was over and that slaves were now free.
Leon County and City of Tallahassee employees recognized Emancipation Day on May 20. It’s the day in 1865 that the Emancipation Declaration was first read in Florida.
