Latest news with #Emancipation
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump delivers stark warning to workers on Juneteenth
Working-class Americans received a stark warning from President Trump as he celebrated Juneteenth by complaining about the excessive amount of federal holidays. Trump issued a directive Thursday night that declared the country is wasting too much money on closing business and said he has considered axing future celebrations. Before this year's holiday post - which failed to mention Juneteenth - Trump spent years commemorating the day which celebrates the freedom of enslaved African Americans. He even once claimed to have made Juneteenth 'very famous.' Trump honored the holiday in each of his first four years as president, even before it became a federal holiday in 2021. But this year, Trump kept silent about the holiday other than his late Truth Social post, despite the significance of the day for black Americans. Asked whether Trump would commemorate Juneteenth in any way, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters: 'I'm not tracking his signature on a proclamation today. 'I know this is a federal holiday. I want to thank all of you for showing up to work. We are certainly here. We're working 24/7 right now.' Juneteenth, also referred to as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas. Their freedom came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln liberated slaves in the Confederacy by signing the Emancipation Proclamation during the Civil War. In 2020, Trump sought to woo black voters with a series of campaign promises, including vowing to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday. After he lost the election, Biden went on to sign the legislation declaring Juneteenth the newest federal holiday. In the past week, Trump has in some way acknowledged Father's Day, Flag Day, National Flag Week and the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill. None of these days are among of the 11 national holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In 2017, Trump celebrated the 'soulful festivities and emotional rejoicing' when in 1865 a major general delivered the news to a Galveston crowd that all enslaved people were free. He told the Galveston story in each of the next three years. 'Together, we honor the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African Americans to the story of American greatness,' he said in his 2018 statement. A year later, he said: 'Across our country, the contributions of African Americans continue to enrich every facet of American life.' His 2020 statement read: 'June reminds us of both the unimaginable injustice of slavery and the incomparable joy that must have attended emancipation. 'It is both a remembrance of a blight on our history and a celebration of our Nation's unsurpassed ability to triumph over darkness.' In 2020, however, Trump chose the controversial location of Tulsa, Oklahoma, as the place to hold a rally following the Covid pandemic. That decision for that venue met with fierce criticism. In Tulsa in 1921, a white mob looted and burned that city's Greenwood district, an economically thriving area referred to as Black Wall Street. As many as 300 Black Tulsans were killed, and thousands were temporarily held in internment camps overseen by the National Guard. Black leaders argued it was offensive for Trump to choose June 19 and Tulsa for a campaign event. Days before the rally, Trump tried to put a positive spin on the situation by claiming that he had made Juneteenth 'famous.' He said he changed the rally date out of respect for two African American friends and supporters. 'I did something good. I made it famous. I made Juneteenth very famous,' Trump said. 'It's actually an important event, it's an important time. But nobody had heard of it. Very few people have heard of it.' Generations of Black Americans celebrated Juneteenth long before it became a federal holiday in 2021.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Editorial: Why Juneteenth matters — The promise of freedom, liberty and equality must still be redeemed
Two-and-a-half years after Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, the enslaved people of Texas learned — via the victorious Union Army — that they were liberated. It was June 19, 1865, when U.S. Maj. General Gordon Granger issued an order, reading: 'The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages.' That 'absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property,' of course, while easy to assert on paper, has been devilishly difficult in the 160 intervening years to make real. In Reconstruction, Southern whites brutally kept freed Black people down. During Jim Crow, segregation and voting suppression and racism made the promise of fairness little more than a taunt. Even since the civil rights movement, which culminated in sweeping federal legislation prohibiting discrimination, the pernicious virus of bias infects too many institutions. Even if every last American were enlightened — which is most certainly not the case — the accumulated weight of generations of bigotry, much of it written into our laws, still weighs on the nation. Wealth and power are tightly intertwined, and the median white household has a net worth 10 times the median Black household, a disparity that adds up to more than $10 trillion. There are many reasons for this, some of which flow from individuals' decisions — we don't for a moment suggest that to be Black in America is to be invariably destined to a life of poverty and oppression — but the lasting burden of decade after decade after decade of injustice still makes shoulders ache. On Juneteenth, we celebrate those who carry that weight and dedicate ourselves to building a fairer future. _____
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Should You Expect USPS Mail Delivery on Juneteenth?
Should You Expect USPS Mail Delivery on Juneteenth? originally appeared on Parade. The newest federal holiday—established by President Joe Biden in 2021—is Juneteenth, a holiday to commemorate the official widespread end to slavery in the United States. As Smithsonian Magazine reported, Juneteenth is known as the United States' Second Independence Day and falls on June 19 every year. But even though this is a federal holiday, is the post office is open on Juneteenth?Even though Juneteenth was only recently made an official federal holiday, this day has been around for a long time. And it all started because on June 19, 1865, U.S. General Gordon Granger announced to enslaved people in Galveston, TX that they were officially free. The Union Army finally started enforcing the end of slavery at this time, even though President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law back on Jan. 1, 1863. This two-year holdup was because slave owners didn't want to let go of enslaved people and simply didn't share the news with them; news was not as widely spread and accessible back then as it is now. Also known as 'Freedom Day' and 'Emancipation Day,' Juneteenth is a day to celebrate this major turning point in our nation's history. So, before you go expecting a special mail delivery on June 19, 2025, does USPS deliver mail on Juneteenth? And does this holiday impact UPS and FedEx deliveries? Is the post office closed or open? Read on to find As the official USPS site states, Juneteenth is one of their 2025 holidays. And as USA Today reported, that means that no regular residential or business mail delivery service will be available on June 19, 2025. They did note, though, that Priority Mail Express is available even on federal holidays, 365 days a year. Due to the fact that all USPS services will be closed on Juneteenth, the post office will also be closed on June 19, 2025. Related: As for non-federally funded mail and package delivery companies, FedEx and UPS operate a bit differently. While they might be closed for other holidays, they don't follow the federal holiday calendar. According to UPS's site, UPS pickup and delivery services will be available on June 19, 2025, and UPS stores will remain open per usual. As FedEx's site reported, they are the same. All FedEx locations will be open and they'll deliver packages as usual. Related: Because USPS coincides with all federal holidays, that means they run on a bank holiday schedule. This also means that on most major holidays and long weekends, USPS mail won't be delivered, and the post office will be closed. The USPS's list of remaining holidays on which they're closed is: Independence Day, July 4, 2025 Labor Day, Sept. 1, 2025 Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day, Oct. 13, 2025 Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2025 Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 27, 2025 Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2025 New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2026 Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Jan. 19, 2026 President's Day, Feb. 16, 2026 Memorial Day, May 25, 2026 Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19, 2026 Independence Day, July 4, 2026 Labor Day, Sept. 7, 2026 Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day, Oct. 12, 2026 Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2026 Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, 2026 Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 2026 Up Next:Should You Expect USPS Mail Delivery on Juneteenth? first appeared on Parade on Jun 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
CBS News
a day ago
- Business
- CBS News
What's open and closed on Juneteenth 2025? Find out if banks, supermarkets and other stores are operating.
From celebrating Juneteenth to the erasure of Black history: Charles M. Blow on America today Juneteenth has arrived, with Americans now celebrating its fifth year as a federally recognized holiday. Given its relatively new status as a federal holiday, you may be wondering whether your local stores are operating as normal. Also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the Civil War was over, informing enslaved people in Texas that they were free. The majority of businesses will remain open, but there are some exceptions — including banks and the stock market. Read on to see what's open and closed on Thursday. And remember to check local store hours before heading over, as they may vary. Is Walmart open on Juneteenth? Walmart's locations are open on June 19 "unless otherwise required by state or local regulations," a company spokesperson said. Is Target on Juneteenth? Yes, Target is open and is operating under its normal hours, a spokesperson confirmed. Is Costco open on Juneteenth? Costco stores will be open, according to its holiday calendar. Is Chick-fil-A open? Chick-fil-A locations are generally open, although this may vary by location. "Celebrating and observing holidays like Juneteenth is up to the discretion of the Chick-fil-A restaurant owner-operator," a spokesperson told CBS News. Fast-food chains McDonald's and Burger King also confirmed to CBS News that they will be open on the 19th. Is the stock market open on Juneteenth? U.S. markets are closed on Thursday, according to the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq. Is the United States Postal Service open? The U.S. Postal Service's (USPS) retail locations are closed on June 19 and there will be no regular mail delivery, according to the postal agency. Business will resume Friday, June 20. What about UPS and FedEx? While USPS is not operating Thursday, Americans will still be able to send and receive packages through UPS and FedEx. Their retail locations will be open on Juneteenth and regular delivery services will be running. Are businesses, supermarkets and fast-food chains open? Most retailers will be open on Juneteenth. See the list below for a sampling of places that are operating. Aldi CVS Dollar General Home Depot HomeGoods Homesense IKEA Kroger TJ Maxx Marshalls Sierra Starbucks Stop & Shop Walgreens (majority of pharmacies will be closed) Wegmans Are banks open on Juneteenth? Several banks will be closed in observance of the Juneteenth holiday, including Bank of America, Wells Fargo and J.P. Morgan Chase.
CBS News
a day ago
- Politics
- CBS News
What's open and closed around NYC today for Juneteenth?
Juneteenth has arrived for 2025 in New York City. The federal holiday is observed to mark an important date in U.S. history. It also means some institutions, like post offices and banks, may be closed for the day. Here's everything to know from schools to alternate side parking rules. CBS News New York recently helped kick off the 16th annual Juneteenth Festival in Brooklyn, with people coming from all over to celebrate. See more from the event here. What is the meaning of Juneteenth? Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, marks the day the last enslaved people in the United States were made aware of the Emancipation Proclamation. A U.S. Army officer and Union general issued the order in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 -- more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the proclamation to free all enslaved people in Confederate states. When did Juneteenth become a federal holiday? President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday on June 17, 2021. Juneteenth fell on a Saturday that year, so it was recognized as a national holiday on Friday, June 18. New York had already made it a holiday on the state level in 2020, and New York City made it a holiday for city employees in 2022. Is the post office open on Juneteenth? USPS will not be open for mail on Juneteenth, since it's a federal holiday. Post offices will be closed, and there will not be any mail delivery. FedEx and UPS, however, will be open as usual. Are banks open on Juneteenth? The Federal Reserve System recognizes Juneteenth as a holiday, so most major banks are closed. ATMs and online banking will still be available, but transactions made on Juneteenth won't be processed until the next business day. NYC alternate side parking rules for Juneteenth Alternate side parking is suspended Thursday, but will resume Friday. All other parking rules and meters remain in effect. Are markets closed on Juneteenth? The stock market is closed for Juneteenth. NYC schools closed for Juneteenth New York City public schools are closed Thursday and will return Friday. The last day of school is coming up on June 26. Is the DMV open on Juneteenth? The New York state Department of Motor Vehicles and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission are both closed for Juneteenth. Is the NYPL open on Juneteenth? The New York Public Library and Brooklyn Public Library are both closed, as well. Costco hours for Juneteenth Costco will be open for business during its usual hours. In our area, that's from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
