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Joe Biden Signs Bill to Make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday (Photos)

Joe Biden Signs Bill to Make Juneteenth a Federal Holiday (Photos)

Photos have been released from the White House’s East Room, where President Joe Biden signed a bill to make Juneteenth an official federal holiday.

For those who still don’t know, June 19 is the date when slavery truly came to an end in the United States. On that date in 1865, slaves in Texas were finally informed that they had freedom, years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by Abraham Lincoln.

Biden was joined by Vice President Kamala Harris and other politicians to sign the bill on Thursday afternoon (June 17) at the White House in Washington, D.C.

Also in attendance were singer Usher and 94-year-old activist Opal Lee, who is known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.”

“It’s really humbling,” Lee told Variety. “I’m overwhelmed at the people who didn’t know about Juneteenth and it’s just coming to their attention.”

Click inside to watch a video of the moment…

You can watch a video of the bill signing below.

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Photos: Getty
Posted to: Joe Biden, Juneteenth, Kamala Harris, Usher