Juneteenth: From local celebration to federal holiday

1979

Juneteenth would receive a boost in its status when Texas became the first state in the country to pass a bill declaring Freedom Day an official holiday.

The legislation was authored by state Rep. Al Edwards of Houston and took effect in 1980.

In remarks made after the state legislature passed the bill, Edwards stated that lawmakers were “giving official recognition to a uniquely Texas holiday that has been celebrated for 115 years.”

“I want all of you to know that you can always be proud of the fact that you were actually a part of and were responsible for another great historical landmark in Texas,” he said.

“It is important for future generations to understand that this effort was not a cheap political trick, completely devoid of meaning, but rather that it was an expression of the respect we have for a great date in the struggle for all men's freedom and of the hope which we hold for the future.”

Over the next few decades, most states would pass similar bills.