By Wonderwall.com Editors
6:23am PDT, Jun 21, 2021
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth — June 19 — a national holiday, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The new federal holiday marks the date in 1865 when, two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Texas were officially freed. Check out how your favorite stars marked Juneteenth 2021 on social media, starting with this actress… "Happy #Juneteenth everyone! We've come so far — but we know we still have a long way to go. Please drop your Black-owned business under this thread. Would love to highlight a few today. 👏🏽" –Halle Berry
Keep reading to see what the rest of Hollywood is saying about Juneteenth…
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"Happy Juneteenth EveryBody I hope you are having fun in the sun Celebrating Freedom." –Tiffany Haddish
"Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and subjugation – and the promise of that brighter morning to come. It's a day of profound weight and power. Today and every day, we must work to ensure our nation finally lives up to its promise of equality for all." –President Joe Biden
"Today is a day of celebration and pride. We reaffirm and rededicate ourselves to ensuring freedom and justice for all. Happy Juneteenth!" –Vice President Kamala Harris
"156 years later and #Juneteenth is becoming a Federal Holiday." —Kerry Washington
"Here's to celebrating #Juneteenth with the swag and soul of Ms. Opal Lee. 🙌🏿💖 We owe deep respect to Ms. Opal Lee whose unwavering commitment is surely responsible for the Senate (finally!) passing a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday this week. I hope you'll join me in thanking @TheRealOpalLee for her inspiring accomplishment, let alone at 94 years of age! One more thing before I go: this national acknowledgment is imperative; however the real substantial change that must follow is ensuring education is introduced and safeguarded in schools on the significance of Juneteenth and Black people's experiences in and contributions to American society. The oversight of these historical events blinds and misleads both our present and our future generations. It encourages willful ignorance and the touting of revisionist history. The mission started by Ms. Opal Lee is not yet accomplished, but rather a responsibility for each of us to carry forward." –Lupita Nyong'o
"Now that Juneteenth is a federal holiday, take a minute to learn about Opal Lee—the woman who did more than anyone to make it happen. Let's follow her lead and try to leave our grandkids a better world than the one we came up in." –Barack Obama
"Let's celebrate #Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday by recognizing the generations of enslaved Black people who fought so hard for their freedom. One of the best ways to do that is by fortifying our sacred right to vote." —Michelle Obama
"Juneteenth or 19 of June was a Holiday for my family long ago! They started celebrating Juneteenth before I was even born. This short celebrates my deep Texas Roots. I am so happy to be a part of Facebook's plan to spread the word and to acknowledge this important Day, that the enslaved people in the South were freed. I encourage you to research and understand this important part of History !! Thanks @facebook and special thanks to @barbsmilez. #junteenth At end that's my grandparents, Mom and My children's dad And his amazing family." –Tina Knowles Lawson
""People think the emancipation proclamation freed the slaves but it was the resilience, fight and fortitude almost 3 years later of BLACK PEOPLE 156 years ago on June 19th that did it. Together we can. Lets continue to fight, uplift and birth the new nation." –Porsha Williams
"Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, abolishing slavery declaring all slaves in the Confederate states to be free. Yet on June 19th, 1865 the news finally reached made it to Galveston, Texas. I've celebrated #Juneteenth my whole life. For my ancestors🙏🏾 @NAACP" –Holly Robinson Peete
"I love that Juneteenth is now an official federal holiday. A time to honor our past and those who've forged a path to our present. Which is why I'm excited to present #LiftEveryVoice, a collection of powerful interviews with a highly regarded older generation of Black Americans. Their experiences and wisdom can lead us to a better future if we're open to receive it. What makes their stories even more poignant, is that young Black journalists and photographers captured their words and images in a spectrum of Black excellence. Civil rights pioneers, teachers, artists, lawyers, homemakers, and so many more. I'm proud to give a home to each one of these stories at Oprah Daily and share them with you on this #Juneteenth and beyond." —Oprah Winfrey
