NFL commissioner Roger Goodell sent a memo to NFL teams on Friday announcing that league offices would be closed on June 19 in observation of Juneteenth.
June 19 commemorates the official end of slavery in the United States, but it is not recognized as a federal holiday. Why is Juneteenth celebrated as the official end of slavery? The Emancipation Proclamation was put into effect by President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1 of 1863, but slavery persisted in many states throughout the Civil War. It wasn’t until June 19 of 1865 when Union troops landed in Galveston, Texas that the last slaves were made aware of the Emancipation Proclamation and freed.
“The power of this historical feat in our country’s blemished history is felt each year, but there is no question that the magnitude of this event weighs even more heavily today in the current climate,” Goodell wrote in the Memo to all 32 NFL teams. “Juneteenth not only marks the end of slavery in the United States, but it also symbolizes freedom – a freedom that was delayed, and brutally resisted; and though decades of progress following, a freedom for which we must continue to fight.
“This year, as we work together as a family and in our communities to combat the racial injustices that remain deeply rooted into the fabric of our society, the NFL will observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 19th as a recognized holiday and our league offices will be closed. It is a day to reflect on our past, but more importantly, consider how each one of us can continue to show up and band together to work toward a better future.”
The recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday comes just a day after the NFL pledged $250 million over the course of 10 years in an effort to combat systemic racism in the United States.
The NFL isn’t the only one spreading awareness about Juneteenth. Kansas City Chiefs team reporter BJ Kissel recently began a petition to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. It currently has over 8,000 signatures and you can sign the petition here.
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