Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom day, is formed by combining June and nineteenth. In June of 2021, Governor Jay Inslee signed House Bill 1016, making Juneteenth an official Washington State Holiday starting in 2022. So, this year will be the first year to have Juneteenth as a paid state holiday. Since it falls on a Sunday, it will be observed officially on June 20th this year. The Juneteenth celebration will be held on June 16, 2022 from 11am – 2pm at the Tivoli Fountain on Capitol Campus, Olympia.

History of Juneteenth: While the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on Jan 1, 1863 by President Abraham Lincoln, the news did not reach the impacted communities for two and a half years. On June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas and learned that people were still being held as slaves. He, then, formally announced the emancipation, making this day as the day of emancipation. Since then, it is celebrated with picnics, rodeos, family reunions, barbecue and lots of red foods, especially strawberry soda pop symbolizing the bloodshed and the resilience of the enslaved populations.