Skip to content

Juneteenth Observed Nationwide

Monday was the first time Juneteenth has been widely observed with closures of Federal Agencies, Banks, Schools and more. The Official Holiday was on Sunday, so the closures happened Monday.

Last year, Juneteenth had become a Federal Holiday just 2 days earlier. The short notice meant many Organizations didn’t have time to prepare for it. On Monday, U.S. Post Offices were closed. The New York Stock Exchange and NASDAQ didn’t have active trading hours. Most Federal Offices and Schools were shut down, and so was the Federal Reserve — along with most banks.

The Holiday commemorates when Union Army General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas — to announce enslaved people had been liberated. That was 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Back To Top