Did You Know That June 19th Is A Federal Holiday In MA?

Americans will be celebrating Juneteenth, the third year since the holiday was given federal status by President Biden in 2021.

June 19th is the date commemorating the fall of slavery in Galveston, Texas two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863 to free enslaved African-American people held in the Confederacy. News of Union troops' victory over the Confederates spread slowly across the South, eventually reaching the shores of Galveston in 1865.

Montclair State University History Professor Leslie Wilson reiterated:

"We are not celebrating the history of Juneteenth. We are celebrating the symbolism of Juneteenth which is the transition from slavery to freedom"

Howard University Associate Professor Greg Carr also stated an important fact about this Federal holiday:

"Juneteenth celebrations are a chance for this country, for the United States to rethink not only its origins, but the relationship of everybody who lives in this country to each other" ]

There are some closures for Wednesday (for us, it's just another regular workday) including schools, all non-essential federal offices are closed as are banks and there is no buying and trading in The New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. County courts and banks are also closed. There will be NO mail delivery today. Most retail and grocery stores will remain open.

BRTA offices are closed today, but there is limited bus service. You can get all the latest information by heading to their web site OR call (413) 499-2782.

Packages could still be expected as FedEx and UPS will be making their daily rounds today though operations will be running on Wednesday for both delivery services.

(Some information obtained in this article courtesy of www.wikipedia.com and www.npr.com)