Americans will celebrate Juneteenth on Thursday, a day that marks the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans. Every year, Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th and it became a federal holiday in the US in 2021 under the Biden administration.
For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in US history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts.
Could Trump end Juneteenth?
Ever since Donald Trump has returned to the White House, he has made efforts to roll back roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and make changes to already-existing federal holidays. This has sparked concerns whether Juneteenth will continue as a federal holiday in US or not.
However, Jeremy Paul, a law professor at Northeastern University School of Law said people should not be worried, reports USA Today. On his own, the president does not have the authority to strike Juneteenth as a federal holiday, the report mentioned.Juneteenth was named a federal holiday under former President Joe Biden in 2021. Signed by Biden into law, June 19 has been recognized as Juneteenth National Independence Day since. The name “Juneteenth” is a combination of “June” and “nineteenth,” in honor of June 19.
What has Trump said on ending Juneteenth?
No, the president has not directly said he wants to end Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Growing concerns about Juneteenth’s future are derived from Trump’s rollback of DEI programs nationwide.
On his own, Trump could not end Juneteenth as a federal holiday, Paul said. The only way to “cancel” a federal holiday would be for Congress to pass a proposed bill to do so, which could then be signed by the president.
“(Congress has) not done, and therefore, Juneteenth is and will remain a federal holiday, unless Congress feels otherwise,” Paul added.
How many states recognize Juneteenth as a permanent holiday?
Juneteenth is a federal holiday, but states can choose whether they recognize Juneteenth as they wish. At least 30 states and the District of Columbia recognized Juneteenth as a permanent state holiday, according to data from Pew Research Center.
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Some states, including Alaska and Vermont, are celebrating Juneteenth as a state holiday for the first time this year. States that do not recognize Juneteenth as a permanent state holiday include Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming, as of June 17. This means Juneteenth is not a paid day off in these states.
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