What employers should know about Juneteenth, America's newest national holiday

Holidays are a reflection of our collective values. As a society, we hope they signal what—and sometimes whom—we as a nation should commemorate. Over the summer, we observed Juneteenth for the first time, collectively recognizing the official end of slavery in the United States. To learn more, read on.

How we got here

Almost 130 years ago, our nation began celebrating Labor Day, which recognizes laborers' works and contributions to the country's development. More recently, in 1983, President Ronald Reagan signed a bill to add MLK Day as a national holiday in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s contributions to the civil rights movement.

Often lost in many discussions about MLK Day is the fact that the journey to create the holiday—which began just four days after King's assassination in 1968—took 15 years to establish. Despite the designation, the day wasn't observed officially until 1986. Even then, it still took nearly two more decades before all 50 states recognized the holiday.

In the summer of 2020, America was ensnared in a social and racial reckoning unlike any seen in recent history. Despite the uncertainty, the year proved to be a time of immense growth and necessary vulnerability. Ultimately, it served as a resounding rallying call to simply do the right thing. For what seemed like the first time in a long while, people were inspired to change their perceptions, and the world was challenged to prioritize understanding over judgment, including the timely creation of a new federal holiday.

Background on Juneteenth