New U.S. Federal Holiday Juneteenth June 19

[Jingthing]

We don't get a new federal holiday every day but we just got one. Juneteenth. It's historic.

 

https://www.denverpost.com/2021/06/17/juneteenth-federal-holiday-explained/

 

Some banks will closed a half day. I guess next year it will become more formal so we can look forward to Juneteenth mattress and appliance store sales and such like.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Jingthing

[Andrew Dwyer]

They obviously had to be cautious in what to name this holiday but tbh I don’t see anything wrong with Freedom Day or are they trying not to draw attention to the reason for the holiday ????

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

They obviously had to be cautious in what to name this holiday but tbh I don’t see anything wrong with Freedom Day or are they trying not to draw attention to the reason for the holiday ????

I think you're wrong. Juneteenth is the name that black Americans have been celebrating for a very long time. It would have been disrespectful to use another name.

[Andrew Dwyer]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I think you're wrong. Juneteenth is the name that black Americans have been celebrating for a very long time. It would have been disrespectful to use another name.

Okay, I read more about it now and see i misinterpreted the significance.

[cmarshall]

This is the most cheering step that has been taken by the Biden administration so far.

 

Score to date:

 

White people holidays:        9

Black people holidays:         2

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, Andrew Dwyer said:

Okay, I read more about it now and see i misinterpreted the significance.

I never heard about it growing up. Now all Americans will learn about it. It received unanimous approval in the senate. That in itself is remarkable. I don't think you could get unanimous approval for a statement that puppies are cute these days.

Edited June 18, 2021 by Jingthing

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

This is the most cheering step that has been taken by the Biden administration so far.

 

Score to date:

 

White people holidays:        9

Black people holidays:         2

Gay holidays 0

[cmarshall]

2 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Gay holidays 0

 

Statistically unlikely.  Black people are 14% of the population while gays are only 1%, no?

[Jingthing]

Just now, cmarshall said:

 

Statistically unlikely.  Black people are 14% of the population while gays are only 1%, no?

No.

[Caldera]

Once the robots can do most of our work, we can have a federal holiday each Monday, for a long weekend each and every week. Which will give us ample opportunity to give each special interest or ethnic group their very own holiday. Suggestions?

[bkk6060]

20 more holidays and they will catch up to Thailand.

[sqwakvfr]

So the tally is now:

 

9 White People Holidays?  The dead presidents are obvious but are Memorial and Veterans  considered "white" holidays? If so why?  Also, is July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years also "white"?

2 Black People Holidays:  MLK-I doubt he would have wanted this. and now Juneteenth as well.  I have knowns about this day for a long time.  Where I worked and lived it was recognized every year.  

1 Latino Holiday-Cesar Chavez Day(at this point it is only a commemorative day).  

 

[Jingthing]

7 minutes ago, sqwakvfr said:

So the tally is now:

 

9 White People Holidays?  The dead presidents are obvious but are Memorial and Veterans  considered "white" holidays? If so why?  Also, is July 4th, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years also "white"?

2 Black People Holidays:  MLK-I doubt he would have wanted this. and now Juneteenth as well.  I have knowns about this day for a long time.  Where I worked and lived it was recognized every year.  

1 Latino Holiday-Cesar Chavez Day(at this point it is only a commemorative day).  

 

I'm not trying to act like I'm part of the "I don't see color" brigade but I don't think any of the federal holidays are really separated that way. They are all about all Americans. Slavery and it's legacy reflected in MLK and now Juneteenth are part of the legacy of all Americans. 

When people take advantage of a MLK Day Used Car Lot Blowout Sale, the only color that's relevant is green. How much more All American can you get? 

Edited June 18, 2021 by Jingthing

[cmarshall]

3 hours ago, Jingthing said:

I'm not trying to act like I'm part of the "I don't see color" brigade but I don't think any of the federal holidays are really separated that way. They are all about all Americans. Slavery and it's legacy reflected in MLK and now Juneteenth are part of the legacy of all Americans. 

When people take advantage of a MLK Day Used Car Lot Blowout Sale, the only color that's relevant is green. How much more All American can you get? 

 

Independence in 1781 or at the Treaty of Paris in 1783 offered no benefit at all to the Americans' slaves, so there is nothing for Blacks to celebrate about July 4th, 1776.  Neither did the ratification of the Constitution in 1789 or the inauguration of the slave-holding President Washington followed shortly thereafter by the next thirteen slave-holding presidents.  In 1857 the Supreme Court ruled that Blacks could not become citizens whether born slave or free and that Blacks "had no rights that the white man was bound to respect." 

 

So far, I don't see the participation of Black people in American societies prior to Juneteenth or the Thirteenth Amendment.

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

 

Independence in 1781 or at the Treaty of Paris in 1783 offered no benefit at all to the Americans' slaves, so there is nothing for Blacks to celebrate about July 4th, 1776.  Neither did the ratification of the Constitution in 1789 or the inauguration of the slave-holding President Washington followed shortly thereafter by the next thirteen slave-holding presidents.  In 1857 the Supreme Court ruled that Blacks could not become citizens whether born slave or free and that Blacks "had no rights that the white man was bound to respect." 

 

So far, I don't see the participation of Black people in American societies prior to Juneteenth or the Thirteenth Amendment.

I think you're being too literal. If we're Americans we're all Americans including new immigrants. 

[cmarshall]

4 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

I think you're being too literal. If we're Americans we're all Americans including new immigrants. 

 

Immigration implies volition.  The slaves were captives, not immigrants.

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

 

Immigration implies volition.  The slaves were captives, not immigrants.

Not sure what you're on about. Yes we recognize history with federal holidays but they're supposed to be holidays for all Americans and unifying. In this new case Juneteenth was definitely a black specific thing but by making it federal it becomes much more universal.

 

Do you think blacks don't party on the 4th of July?

Edited June 18, 2021 by Jingthing

[mtls2005]

So when June 19 occurs on a Sat or Sun, the previous Fri or following Mon are national holidays?

 

I'm totally down with a holiday celebrating the end of Slavery. We still haven't really faced up up to the abomination which was Slavery, choosing to ignore what was a very inconvenient truth.

 

And we get the whole day off, not just 60% of the day off.

 

 

 

 

[Yellowtail]

I spent every June from 1978 to 1988 living, working and partying with black in the south and I never heard of it. 

[Jingthing]

1 hour ago, Yellowtail said:

I spent every June from 1978 to 1988 living, working and partying with black in the south and I never heard of it. 

I'm not surprised but now you have.

 

[Yellowtail]

On 6/18/2021 at 4:36 PM, Jingthing said:

Gay holidays 0

 

I thought you had a whole month, no?

[Jingthing]

5 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

 

I thought you had a whole month, no?

No federal holiday.

[Yellowtail]

On 6/18/2021 at 4:52 PM, bkk6060 said:

20 more holidays and they will catch up to Thailand.

 

Actually, most Thais work a six day week, so Americans get a lot more days off.

[treetops]

Is it usual or compulsory for holidays like this to be given to all employees?  I ask as a girlfriend working for the US military overseas was promised it then told no, you're not getting it.

[Yellowtail]

1 minute ago, treetops said:

Is it usual or compulsory for holidays like this to be given to all employees?  I ask as a girlfriend working for the US military overseas was promised it then told no, you're not getting it.

 

They'll get whatever holidays are negotiated in their contract.

[treetops]

13 minutes ago, Yellowtail said:

They'll get whatever holidays are negotiated in their contract.

 

The holiday didn't exist then, but this was received then reneged on:
 

Quote

 

Juneteenth National Independence Day

Today, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, establishing June 19 as a U.S. federal holiday. Since the 19th falls on a Saturday this year, all military personnel and U.S. civilian employees are authorized to observe the holiday tomorrow, Friday, June 18, and will have the day off. Local National team members will be granted administrative leave on Friday. Please contact your supervisor if you have any questions.

 

 

She's not overly concerned and isn't sure why it was reversed, but I just wondered how these things were dealt with.

[Yellowtail]

4 minutes ago, treetops said:

 

The holiday didn't exist then, but this was received then reneged on:
 

 

She's not overly concerned and isn't sure why it was reversed, but I just wondered how these things were dealt with.

 

Likely because  the holiday is not yet negotiated in their contract.

[NancyL]

Juneteenth was a state holiday when we lived in Texas, so Hubby and I are very familiar with it.  The traditional way to celebrate is with family and friends in a picnic featuring good southern food.  I was told this is the date when the slaves in Texas learned they were freed, even though the actual Emancipation Proclamation had been signed much earlier.

[Yellowtail]

It is worth noting that more whites celebrated the end of slavery in the United States than blacks.

[mtls2005]

On 6/19/2021 at 7:48 AM, mtls2005 said:

So when June 19 occurs on a Sat or Sun, the previous Fri or following Mon are national holidays?

 

 

As far as I can determine, Friday June 18 was a Federal day off, next year, Monday, June 20 will be a Federal day off.