Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, announced Thursday he will introduce a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. And that day came on a day we now celebrate as Juneteenth,” the Texas Republican added. Texas was the first state to make June 19 a state holiday in 1980. Earlier this week, both New York and Virginia honored the day as a state holiday, meaning state employees will receive a paid day off or overtime pay. This year marks the 155th anniversary of the holiday when Texas -- the last confederate holdout -- officially abolished slavery in 1865.

Source: Fox News June 18, 2020 21:22 UTC