Photos: Biden celebrates Juneteenth with concert at White House
US President Joe Biden has staged a concert on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate Juneteenth, the latest federal holiday, which the president said will “rekindle the very essence of America.”
Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the US. It was declared a federal holiday in 2021 by Biden.
“For me, making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t just a token gesture,” Biden said Tuesday. It was a fact for this country to recognize the origin of the original sin of slavery, to understand that the war was never fought over it. It wasn’t just about a union, but it was mostly about the country and freedom.”
Vice President Kamala Harris said Juneteenth is an opportunity to “honour black excellence, culture and community”.
“America is a promise – a promise of freedom, liberty and justice,” said Harris. “The story of Juneteenth as we celebrate is a story of our ongoing struggle to deliver on that promise. Not for some, but for all.”
The concert also commemorated Black Music Month and featured artists such as Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and singer and talk show host Jennifer Hudson.
In 2021, Biden signed bipartisan legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The holiday marks the date the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free — which happened on June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers broke the news of their freedom to enslaved black people in Galveston, Texas. .