Following recent weeks of racial justice protests and discussions, SAG-AFTRA, all of Hollywood's major agencies and several PR firms have announced Juneteenth will be a paid company holiday this year and going forward.
Juneteenth marks the day, on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Texas to announce the Civil War had ended and all slaves were now free, thereby ending slavery in the U.S. — two and half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation became official on January 1, 1863.
Though celebrated in Black communities for generations, the day only recently has gained attention with white people and the call to recognize Juneteenth as a US federal holiday has gained steam.
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