The day honoring the end of slavery in the United States, Juneteenth, has been declared an official state holiday in Louisiana.
On the third Saturday in June, Juneteenth Day will be observed, thanks to a bill approved by Gov. John Bel Edwards with no dissenting votes.
The bill sponsored by Baton Rouge Democratic Rep. Larry Selders passed 87-0 in the House, and it passed 37-0 in the Senate.
Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved Blacks in Texas were released due to the advent of federal troops.
Juneteenth has come to symbolize the end of slavery, even though slavery was not completely abolished until the 13th Amendment, which came six months later.
