Biden highlights importance of Juneteenth holiday at Texas church celebration
World
Juneteenth, a day that marks the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans, is observed on June 19
GALVESTON, Texas (Reuters) – Former US President Joe Biden attended a Juneteenth celebration at a historic church in Texas on Thursday, where he highlighted the importance of marking the holiday and remembering what he called the “moral stain of slavery.”
“Still today, some say to me and to you, that this doesn’t deserve to be a federal holiday. They don’t want to remember, but we all remember,” Biden said, speaking at the Reebly Chapel, an African Methodist Episcopal congregation in Galveston founded by slaves in 1848.
Juneteenth, a day that marks the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans, is always observed on June 19 each year. It became a US federal holiday in 2021, following the signing of a bill by Biden.
This year's Juneteenth celebrations come amid President Donald Trump's ongoing efforts to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government and weaken civil rights legislation.
