WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Juneteenth, the nation's newest federal holiday, celebrates the day when the last enslaved people in Texas learned they were free on June 19, 1865.
On Sunday, the nation will celebrate the now federally-recognized for a second time after President Joe Biden signed a bill in 2021 granting its status as Juneteenth National Independence Day.
While the holiday falls on a Sunday this year, many places will be observing Juneteenth on Monday, June 20. Here's a guide on which businesses will be closing, adjusting hours or remaining open.
What's closed?
Like with most federal holidays, the U.S. Post Office will be closed. This will be the first time the post office ceases operations for Juneteenth since it had too short of a notice to observe the holiday in 2021.
Banks:
Bank of America Corp.
JPMorgan Chase and Co.
Wells Fargo
Government Offices:
Most federal government offices will be closed on Monday, however jurisdiction falls on cities and local governments on whether they'll remain open.
Post Office:
The post office will be closed on Monday in observance.
Stock Market:
New York Stock Exchange
What's open?
Generally, most businesses will remain open on Juneteenth. Here's a list of a stores which will operate normally.
Stores and pharmacies:
- Kroger
- Walmart
- Target
- Costco
- CVS
- Walgreens
What's the history of Juneteenth and how is it celebrated?
Recognition of the holiday gained traction in 2020 amid nationwide protests over police killings of Black Americans including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
However, the holiday has a 150-year history and has been celebrated for generations by Black Americans.
Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas, after the end of the Civil War.
Through the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, enslaved people in the Confederate states were declared legally free.
"Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States," describes the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
But the proclamation couldn't be enforced in places still under Confederate control. For the enslaved people of Texas, freedom wouldn't come until after the end of the Civil War.
On June 19, 1865, Union Major Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston Bay, announcing that the quarter million enslaved Black people in Texas were free by executive decree.