![](https://www.federaltimes.com/resizer/BglNzoPWZvFZR8CsYL-_ENTQLns=/400x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/UJTZQQWYIJDFDCAKZE6AIVMBQY.jpg)
Latest ""
![](https://www.federaltimes.com/resizer/BglNzoPWZvFZR8CsYL-_ENTQLns=/400x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/UJTZQQWYIJDFDCAKZE6AIVMBQY.jpg)
![](https://www.federaltimes.com/resizer/WO03p5desvt-pY-gJVv6VJXLwNQ=/400x0/filters:format(jpg):quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/XX22642FXVAC5GOSEMRJRZD5RY.jpg)
Biden celebrates Juneteenth, newest federal holiday, at White House
The concert also commemorated Black Music Month and featured artists such as Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and singer Jennifer Hudson.
Is Juneteenth a paid federal holiday?
In 2021, President Biden signed a bill into law to establish the holiday federally .
Is Juneteenth a federal holiday?
Juneteenth has been celebrated annually around the country since 1865 when a Union General arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed the enslaved African Americans that the Confederacy had lost the war and that they were free as per the Emancipation Proclamation, which was inked in 1863.
By Ryan White
Feds get Juneteenth holiday on Friday
The first federal observation of Juneteenth as a holiday will occur for most government employees on Friday, June 18.
By Jessie Bur