juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, is gaining awarenessJuneteenth, the newest federal holiday, is gaining awareness Enlarge this image toggle caption Jae C. Hong/AP Jae C. Hong/AP Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth this weekend, the third year since the holiday was given federal status by President Biden in 2021.
Celebrations of the holiday started out regionally in Texas, but as Black Americans spread out across the United States, they brought their traditions with them, including remembrances for one of the final vestiges of chattel slavery.
Just a year later, that number would spike to nearly 60 percent.
"We celebrate everything in America, you know.
"Juneteenth celebrations are a chance for this country, for the United States to rethink not only its origins, but the relationship of everybody who lives in this country to each other," said Greg Carr, associate professor of Africana Studies at Howard University.
"In many ways, Juneteenth symbolically becomes a litmus test for the possibilities of this country."
