Celebrities are using their social media platforms to advocate for Juneteenth to be recognized as a national holiday in the U.S.
Juneteenth, which falls on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery, but is only recognized as an official holiday in some states.
“Happy Juneteenth!” Taylor Swift tweeted on Friday. “I want to thank @TheRoot and @RhapsoDani for allowing me to post this video about the significance of today, June 19th, and why it should be celebrated as a National holiday.”
The “Me!” singer, 30, shared in a separate tweet that she not only wanted to advocate for the holiday, but also already began taking steps to honor the day in her own life.
“Personally, I’ve made the decision to give all of my employees June 19th off in honor of Freedom Day from now on, and to continue to educate myself on the history that brought us to this present moment,” she added.
Kenyan-Mexican actress Lupita Nyong’o shared on her social media why it is important for a country to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday on a national scale.
“Public holidays indicate the moments in history that are important to a nation and the values they hold dear,” the 37-year-old tweeted on Friday. “Recognizing #Juneteenth nationally would be one more way to acknowledge the intrinsic value of Black people and their history to the wealth and prosperity of the USA.”
Other stars like George Takei and Jason Alexander also used their platforms to speak up in favor of the holiday.
One of the most vocal celebrities to advocate for Juneteenth was Usher, who also penned an op-ed in The Washington Post on Friday.
“Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday would be a small gesture compared with the greater social needs of black people in America,” the singer, 41, wrote in part. “But it can remind us of our journey toward freedom, and the work America still has to do.”
On Thursday, Sen. Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Sen. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Sen. Kamala D. Harris (D-Calif.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced that they are introducing legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Chris Evans retweeted an article about Congress’ attempt to pass the legislation, adding, “As it should be.”
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