Juneteenth national holiday is now US law, marks end of slavery

Long drive to make June 19 a national holiday succeeds amid the US’s new reckoning with its history of racism.

President Joe Biden signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States as the nation continues enacting change amid a racial reckoning. “Today we consecrate Juneteenth for what it ought to be, what it must be – a national holiday,” said Biden, who returned on Wednesday from his first trip as president to Europe. “This is a really, really important moment in American history. By making Juneteenth a federal holiday, all Americans can feel the power of this day and learn from our history and celebrate our progress,” Biden said.