In states where Juneteenth is still not a day off, activists see a missed opportunity

https://www.npr.org/2022/06/19/ [login to see] /which-states-recognize-juneteenth
When Juneteenth became a federal holiday last year, South Carolina organizer Jamal Bradley was excited for it to finally get the recognition it deserves. But his enthusiasm was quickly dashed when he learned state leaders decided not to follow suit in observing the holiday.

"It just lets me know there's still work left to do in South Carolina," said Bradley, who started a petition for Juneteenth to become a state holiday.

Also known as "Emancipation Day" or "Freedom Day," Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and gave word to enslaved African Americans that they were free — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. The holiday has been celebrated by many Black families for generations, but began to gain wider attention in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.