Today Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, but you may not know it if you live outside of the 36 states and 200 cities that observe the holiday. Juneteenth began 146 years ago to mark the announcement in Galveston, Texas that President Lincoln had abolished slavery. As they’ve done every year for the past decade, advocates are calling on Congress to make the day an official U.S. holiday. President Obama took the opportunity to explain why no longer enslaving other humans is something every American should be excited about:
“Our nation is stronger because of the generations of struggles for equal rights and social justice, and our culture is richer because of the contributions of African Americans throughout our history … This is why Juneteenth, while rooted in the history of a people, can be celebrated by all Americans.”
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