Sen. Kamala Harris Plans To Introduce A Bill That Declares Juneteenth A National Holiday
In a Thursday interview on MSNBC, Sen. Kamala Harris shared that lawmakers are currently working on legislation to make Juneteenth a national holiday.
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During the late-night segment, the California Democrat said she was working with Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on the proposal: “We are dropping that bill to say that Juneteenth should actually be a national holiday,” Harris said.
The move follows Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who told KPRC 2 that she is also working on a bill that would be introduced this week pushing for Juneteenth to be recognized nationally. Lee has been pushing to make this happen for two decades.
As we previously reported, Juneteenth which is celebrated annually on June 19, honors the official end of slavery. It marks the actual day it came to an end in 1865 after Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, carrying news that the Civil War had come to a close and the slaves were free.
So far, 47 states including Washington D.C. have decided to make it a holiday. Private companies have also decided to recognize Juneteenth, too. Twitter, Google, General Motors, and a growing list of major firms have made Juneteenth an official company paid holiday.
Press Play Below For More:
Kamala Harris wants to make #JuneteenthDay a federal/national holiday. 🥺#HappyJuneteenth
— The General (@genuhrule) June 19, 2020
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