Juneteenth, an American national holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the liberation of African-American slaves, has been declared a federal holiday in the United States this year. A symbolic event for the country where the struggle of the African-American population for its rights has experienced a new revival in recent years.
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US authorities have declared Juneteenth National Independence Day, also known as Freedom Day and celebrated on June 19, a federal public holiday across the country. The official decision was taken on Thursday, June 17.
This holiday symbolizes the emancipation of African-American slaves proclaimed at the end of the Civil War of 1861-1865 to historically commemorate the orders on the annulment of slavery in Texas dated June 19, 1865 and announced by the general Northerner Gordon Granger.
The Juneteenth was until now celebrated in many states of this North American country but it is only on Saturday June 19, 2021 that this holiday was granted the status of federal holiday throughout the country.
Many events and concerts were held in the United States on this occasion.
A statue of George Floyd
The Freedom Day festivities held in New York City were marked by the unveiling of a statue of George Floyd, an African-American killed by police during his arrest in Minneapolis in May 2020.
In New York City, Terrence Floyd, George Floyd’s brother, unveiled a six-foot statue in Brooklyn as part of Saturday’s Juneteenth celebrations. On Wednesday, a statue of Floyd was unveiled in front of city hall in Newark, New Jersey.https://t.co/b7rGxVVGbY
— CNN (@CNN) June 19, 2021
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“This statue symbolizes the power and dignity of George Floyd. I hope she will inspire voters, residents and simply passers-by to organize, mobilize, advance and raise awareness for a change in life, ”said New York City Councilor Farah Louis attending the ceremony.
The statue was unveiled in Brooklyn to then be moved to Union Square, according to US media, which also reported that another George Floyd sculpture was unveiled in Newark, New Jersey, earlier this week.
Today Mayor @rasjbaraka unveiled a donated statue honoring George Floyd in front of City Hall, alongside Filmmaker Leon Pickney, Artist Stanley Watts, Activist Larry Hamm and more pic.twitter.com/nefig7fruE
— City of Newark (@CityofNewarkNJ) June 16, 2021
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Race issues in the forefront
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25, 2020 after a white policeman immobilized him with his knee on the back of his neck for long minutes was the starting point for multiple protests against racism and violence in the police across the United States.
The American Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement took full advantage of the situation to lead the protests and gain unprecedented popularity at home and abroad.
Racial issues therefore reappeared with renewed vigor on the American political agenda at the end of Donald Trump’s presidential term and at the start of Joe Biden’s presidency.
The 46th President of the United States has already supported several initiatives which aim to draw even more attention in American society to the racial problems which still persist in the country. Aside from the federal Freedom Day statute on June 19, Biden had helped revive debates on a bill to compensate the descendants of some four million African slaves taken to America between 1619 and 1865. The future of this law remains uncertain given the opposition of elected Republican officials to the initiative.
As for the evolution of BLM, amid a soaring budget in 2020, the movement remains in the crosshairs of the press due to internal conflicts and alleged financial abuses of its co-founder Patrisse Khan-Cullors.
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