One of my proudest actions as President has been signing the bipartisan law establishing Juneteenth as the first new Federal holiday since the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday nearly four decades ago. On this Juneteenth Day of Observance, we commemorate America’s dedication to the cause of freedom. On June 19, 1865 —…
Search Results
Remarks by Vice President Harris at a Juneteenth Concert
South Lawn 7:33 P.M. EDT THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everyone. Good evening. (Applause.) Happy Juneteenth! (Applause.) Please have a seat. Please have a seat. (Audience members make “Skee-Wee” sound.) (Laughs.) And to my Divine Nine family. (Laughs.) (Cheers.) Good evening, everyone. So tonight, with joy, we gather with friends and generations of family members. We gather here at the…
Remarks by Vice President Harris at CNN’s Juneteenth: A Global Celebration for Freedom
Greek Theatre Los Angeles, California THE VICE PRESIDENT: Good evening, everyone. Good evening. (Applause.) Good evening. And Happy Juneteenth. (Applause.) So, tonight, with joy, we gather with friends and family to celebrate America’s newest national holiday. (Applause.) So when I served in the United States Senate, I was proud to co-sponsor a bill to make…
Remarks by President Biden at a Juneteenth Concert
South Lawn 8:53 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: My name is Joe Biden. I’m Ashley’s father. (Laughter.) She’s the love of my life and the life of my love. I know I couldn’t be prouder of her. Thank you all for being here: our outstanding Vice President, Kamala Harris; the Second Gentleman. (Applause.) Members of the…
White House Announces Juneteenth Concert
The President and First Lady to Host a Juneteenth Concert on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 The White House announced today a Juneteenth Concert on Tuesday, June 13. The South Lawn concert will be a celebration of community, culture and music. In 2021, President Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as the nation’s newest Federal holiday,…
President Biden Announces Recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Today, President Biden named nineteen recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the Nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors. President Biden often says there is…
Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre En Route Palo Alto, CA
Aboard Air Force One En Route Palo Alto, California 12:39 P.M. EDT MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Hello. Okay. Hi, everybody. Happy Juneteenth. So, while we normally don’t do gaggles on a federal holiday, this is an exception. And we wanted to make sure that you all had the opportunity to ask a few questions as we head…
A Statement from Dr. Alondra Nelson in Recognition of Juneteenth
June 19th is not the day the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. It is the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally learned that the United States had abolished slavery. A more than two-year delay that compounded centuries of bondage with tragedy. Although Juneteenth has been celebrated in African American communities for generations,…
Remarks by President Biden at Presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
East Room 5:18 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: Hello, hello, hello. Please have a seat. I think I told my buddy John Kerry, for the first two years, every time I heard “Hail to the Chief,” I’d turn and look around, “Where the hell is he?” (Laughter.) Anyway, it’s great to see you all. And on…
Statement by President Joe Biden on Juneteenth
One year ago, I had the great honor of signing legislation to establish Juneteenth as a national holiday—the first new federal holiday since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day nearly four decades ago. Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation and a promise of a brighter morning to come. It is a day of…