Juneteenth Now A MA Schools Holiday

Juneteenth will now be observed by Massachusetts school districts, with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education adding it to the state's school calendar effective immediately.

June 19th became a state holiday last month when Gov. Charlie Baker signed a COVID-19 spending bill that included a Juneteenth amendment.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas were told of their freedom, essentially ending slavery in America. It was more than two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and a few months before the 13th amendment, which abolished slavery, was ratified.

The holiday will be observed both in the state and school districts beginning in 2021. The upcoming school year may be over in many districts by June 19th.