Senate Democrats debuted legislation to make June 19, known as “Juneteenth,” a federal holiday.
Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey, Kamala Harris of California, Ed Markey of Massachusetts, and Tina Smith of Minnesota introduced the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act on Friday to put the historic day, which commemorates the end of slavery, on the government’s calendar in the same way the country annually remembers American independence on the Fourth of July and former service members on Memorial Day.
“On Juneteenth, we remember the millions who suffered, died, and survived the crushing reality of slavery in America and recommit ourselves to continuing in the fight for equal justice for all. Without question, it should be recognized with the respect of a federal holiday,” Harris said in a statement.
The District of Columbia and 46 states observe Juneteenth as a state holiday, but the bill would make it the country’s 11th federal holiday. It also calls for the creation of a Juneteenth Federal Holiday Commission to spur ceremonies and activities on this day nationwide.
President Trump has not indicated if he would sign the bill into law. The president has the authority to declare by executive action a one-time holiday, but not a recurring holiday.
During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation to free 3.5 million black people who were enslaved in southern U.S. states. It took effect in January 1863, but it was not until Congress passed the 13th Amendment legally prohibiting slavery in January 1865 that the practice was outlawed. Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day and Jubilee Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, a day when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger issued an order in Texas affirming the Emancipation Proclamation.
“We commemorate Juneteenth as the day that word of emancipation finally reached enslaved people in Texas in 1865, but we know the struggle for true Black liberation continues,” Markey said in a statement. “This legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday is but one step we can take to begin to right the wrongs of the past in order to ensure equal justice in the future. Today, we commemorate. Tomorrow, we fight.”
[Read more: Biden campaign spending Juneteenth courting black voters]
Earlier this week, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, put forth a resolution to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, said he plans to introduce a bill soon.
The sudden surge in similar proposals comes after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who died while Minneapolis police took him into custody. The Black Lives Matter organization has led protests nationwide calling for police to treat black and brown people fairly, as well as changes to what protesters say is systemic racism within the justice system.
