Opal Lee receives Presidential Medal of Freedom
Fort Worth’s Opal Lee, also known as the Grandmother of Juneteenth, was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom on May 3, 2024.
Fox – 4 News
It’s another Juneteenth in Atlanta, and while many today celebrate the holiday with a day off of work or a visit to civil rights sites around the city, this may be a holiday you didn’t grow up celebrating.
Juneteenth recognizes the day the last enslaved people in the United States were freed in Texas and Louisiana in 1865. It took two and a half years for the news of the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 to reach the enslaved people and the Union Army arrived in Galveston to order the end of slavery.
Juneteenth has long been celebrated in communities around the United States as Opal Lee, considered the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” from Forth Worth, Texas, led a movement for the day to be recognized as a national holiday.
So, when was Juneteenth finally recognized in Georgia?
President Biden declares Juneteenth a federal holiday
President Joe Biden declared Juneteenth a federal holiday in 2021, allowing federal employees to take the day off in remembrance and rewarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Lee.
As a federal holiday, mail is not delivered on this date and some businesses may be closed.
Many banks will also be closed on Juneteenth, but ATM services may still be available.
In 2025, President Trump removed Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day from the list of free entry days at national parks, but they remained on the list of federal holidays.
When was Juneteenth recognized in Georgia?
Gov. Brian Kemp recognized Juneteenth as a paid state holiday for government employees in 2022.
State legislators currently in a special session will not work on Juneteenth, and state offices will be closed.
Is Juneteenth always on the same day?
Juneteenth is always celebrated on June 19, but the day of the week will change each year. This year, the holiday falls on a Friday. Next year, Juneteenth will be celebrated on a Saturday.
When the holiday falls on a weekend, it will be federally and state recognized on the Friday before.
Are there any Juneteenth celebrations in Atlanta?
There are lots of Juneteenth celebrations going on in Atlanta, including a parade and music festival in Piedmont Park from June 19 through June 21.
Juneteenth Atlanta is the official Juneteenth celebration for the city, and includes a 5k run, a health fair, vendors a parade and more.
The High Museum of Art is also hosting a Juneteenth event for visitors to tour the art galleries, make art of their own, listen to stories and poetry, laugh with comedians and dance during a Tambor Party.
Check for other Juneteenth events in your neighborhood.
Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at [email protected].
