Page 18 - Making Juneteenth News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Freedom. it was, indeed, an important day. [ applause ] >> still, let us also remember that day was not the end of slavery in america. the truth is, it would be six more months before the 13th amendment was ratified, before enslaved people in the south and north were free, so as we commemorate the history of juneteenth, as we did just weeks ago with the history of the tulsa race massacre, we must learn from our history and we must teach our children our history, because it is part of our history as a nation. it is part of american history. so let me say we're gathered

So let me say this. we're gathered here in a house build by enslaved people. we're foot steps away from president president abraham lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation and we're here to witness president joe biden establish juneteenth as a national holiday. we have come far and we have far to go. but today is a day of celebration, it is not only a day of pride, it is also a day for us to reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to action. with that, i say happy juneteenth, everybody! with that, i introduce the president of the united states, joe biden. [applause]

All right. we are following breaking news out of the white house where any minute now we are expecting president biden accompanied by vice president kamala harris to be signing the bill that essentially makes juneteenth an official federal holiday. for more on this we want to bring in msnbc news correspondent jeff bennett. it's great to have you with us. quite a remarkable turn of events here coming out of the white house just because of the history of juneteenth and the significance that it has now taken in this country. i want you to talk to us about this and what this moment means. it looks...

>> by making juneteenth a federal holiday all americans can feel the power of this day and learn history. great nations don't ignore their most painful moments. great nations don't ignore their most painful moments. they don't ignore those moments in the past. they embrace them. >> while junteenth will now be commemorated nationwide, in some red states it could be illegal to teach what the holiday is about. they're aiming to dictate how historical and modern racism in america are tall. that includes the state of texas where junteenth was first celebrated. governor abbott wants to ban public ra...

This year's Juneteenth Festival will be held virtually, starting with it's first Juneteenth Pageant.