Juneteenth will be celebrated on Thursday, June 19, but could this be the last one?
It is no secret that President Donald Trump has been making moves to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion, along with making changes to existing federal holidays. These efforts by the president have brought concerns over the continuation of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Juneteenth was designated a federal holiday by former President Joe Biden in 2021 and has been recognized as Juneteenth National Independence Day since then. The 2025 celebrations will mark only the fourth year of Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Here is what to know about the future of the nation’s youngest federal holiday.
What is Juneteenth?
The holiday honors the Emancipation Proclamation in the United States. On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln declared the freedom of enslaved African Americans in states that had seceded, but those in Galveston, Texas, wouldn’t learn of their liberation until two years later.
On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger notified the Galveston community about Lincoln’s proclamation. Even though enslaved individuals had been officially freed earlier, those who enslaved them neglected to inform them of the order until Union forces arrived to enforce it, as stated by Cliff Robinson, the founder of Juneteenth.com. Texas was the last Confederate state to receive the proclamation.
Does Trump want to end Juneteenth?
No, the president has not directly said he wants to end Juneteenth as a federal holiday. Growing concerns about the future of Juneteenth stem from Trump’s rollback of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs nationwide.
Could Trump end Juneteenth as a federal holiday?
The president cannot unilaterally remove Juneteenth as a federal holiday. The only way to “cancel” a federal holiday is for Congress to pass a bill to that effect, which would then need to be signed by the president.
Does Tennessee recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday?
Yes, Tennessee does recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday. It is listed as one of 11 state holidays in Tennessee’s calendar.
States that do not recognize Juneteenth as a permanent state holiday include Arizona, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Wisconsin and Wyoming, as of June 17. This means Juneteenth is not a paid day off in these states.
How long has Memphis celebrated Juneteenth?
According to the Museum of Science and History, Memphians have been publicly celebrating Juneteenth since the 1990s, well before it was a federally recognized holiday.
Looking to celebrate Juneteenth? Here are a few events around Middle Tennessee
Related: Enslaved Tennesseans weren’t freed on the Eighth of August. So why do we celebrate it?
In 2025, Memphis has already been celebrating Juneteenth for most of the month with concerts, festivals and other events honoring the national holiday. Here are some events left for Memphians to attend in June:
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Is Juneteenth still a federal holiday? Could Trump roll it back?