June 19 is Juneteenth holiday. Americans will celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday commemorating the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas, with block parties, cookouts and educational events.
While Juneteenth celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation, which only freed slaves in the South, the 13th Amendment is what officially ended slavery in the U.S.
The holiday is looking a little different from most years.
Millions of Americans took to the streets to protest racial injustice last summer in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans. The protest movement sparked an ongoing dialogue around systemic racism and police brutality.
The protests also raised attention for the importance of Juneteenth as companies including Nike, Twitter and Uber are giving employees paid days off.
With 144 Million Americans fully vaccinated against COVID-19, many will gather in person after celebrating virtually in 2020.
