Louisiana To Make Juneteenth A Holiday

Juneteenth is officially a state holiday in Louisiana.

On Thursday (June 10), Gov. John Bel Edwards signed House Bill 554 into law, making June 19th a holiday.

On June 19, 1865, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned the Civil War had ended, and that the Emancipation Proclamation had freed them almost two year prior.

RELATED: Oregon Votes To Make Juneteenth A Holiday

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated memorialization of slavery ending in the United States.

According to US News & World Report, the Louisiana House voted for the measure 87-0, which was introduced by Baton Rouge Democratic Rep. Larry Selders. The state’s senate also unanimously voted for the bill 37-0.