Amata Welcomes First Official Juneteenth National Holiday

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa'atali Amata is highlighting Juneteenth, a day of freedom which has been celebrated for years and recognized by Congress with prior resolutions, but is for the first time this year an official national holiday. The bipartisan bill, S. 475, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, was passed by Congress designating a legal national holiday, and signed this week by President Biden.

On June 19, 1865, news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the last known place practicing slavery in the United States, over two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the historic Emancipation Proclamation on New Year's Day, 1863.

"In the United States, we are known for celebrating freedom, and we celebrate this important day together," said Amata. "This day is a reminder of the day the American ideal of freedom became reality for some. From this day, they too shared the possibilities of ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.' It's a time in history that offers many lessons, including heroic examples from former enslaved people and abolitionists. In 2021, we go forward in unity as a nation celebrating freedom for all, and guarding our freedoms for the next generation."