WASHINGTON D.C., DC — Juneteenth, the nation's newest federal holiday, celebrates the day when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free.
On Monday, June 19, cities across the nation will celebrate Juneteenth National Independence Day, which gained federal holiday status in 2021 after President Joe Biden signed it into law. Although it is the country's newest federal holiday, Juneteenth has been celebrated for generations by many Black Americans.
Here's a guide on which businesses and services will be closed on Juneteenth.
Is the post office closed on Juneteenth?
Like with most federal holidays, the U.S. Post Office will be closed. This will be the second time the post office ceases operations for Juneteenth since it had too short of a notice to observe the holiday in 2021.
Banks closed on Juneteenth:
Most banks will close for the federal holiday, though ATMs and online banking will still be available. Major banks planning to close include:
- Bank of America Corp.
- JPMorgan Chase and Co.
- Wells Fargo
Government offices:
Most federal government offices will be closed on Monday. However, jurisdiction falls on cities and local governments on whether they'll remain open.
Stock market:
U.S. stock markets will be closed Monday.
What's open?
Generally, most businesses will remain open on Juneteenth. Here's a list of a stores planning to operate normally.
Stores and pharmacies:
- Kroger
- Walmart
- Target
- CVS
- Walgreens
Is Costco open on Juneteenth?
Costco will remain open on Monday, June 19, according to its website.
What's the history of Juneteenth and how is it celebrated?
Recognition of the holiday gained traction in 2020 amid nationwide protests over police killings of Black Americans including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
However, the holiday has a 150-year history and has been celebrated for generations by Black Americans.
Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas, after the end of the Civil War.
Through the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, enslaved people in the Confederate states were declared legally free.
"Union soldiers, many of whom were black, marched onto plantations and across cities in the south reading small copies of the Emancipation Proclamation spreading the news of freedom in Confederate States," describes the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
But the proclamation couldn't be enforced in places still under Confederate control. For the enslaved people of Texas, freedom wouldn't come until after the end of the Civil War.
On June 19, 1865, Union Major Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in Galveston Bay, announcing that the quarter million enslaved Black people in Texas were free by executive decree.