By Bob Katzen

The Senate passed a resolution commemorating June 19, 2020 as Juneteenth. Juneteenth is an unofficial holiday that celebrates June 19, 1865, the day when the remaining enslaved African Americans in the United States of America were told that they were free.

“Juneteenth has become a day to recognize African American emancipation and to celebrate African American achievements,” reads the proclamation. “In this national time of reckoning and reflection, all residents should use this occasion to listen, learn and celebrate African American history and heritage.”