The day commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S., and has become a broader celebration of Black freedom and a marker of the struggle for equality.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy hugs Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson after Dunleavy, in Anchorage on Thursday, signed into law a bill making Juneteenth a state holiday.
Juneteenth commemorates when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, on June 19, 1865, and freed more than 250,000 enslaved Black people. In recent years, Juneteenth has become a broader celebration of Black freedom and a marker of the struggle for equality. Sen. Elvi Gray-Jackson wipes a tear after giving comments about Juneteenth becoming a state holiday.
“Juneteenth represents freedom — Independence Day for Black people — that’s why it’s so important,” she said.Gray-Jackson first introduced a Juneteenth bill in 2021, but it failed to get a single legislative hearing. She attributed success this time around to hard work and being in the Senate majority. She also praised the lobbying efforts of Anchorage Republican Rep. Stanley Wright.
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