Illinois to recognize Juneteenth as state holiday

Published June 17, 2021 5:00pm ET



Juneteenth is now a holiday in the state of Illinois.

Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill Wednesday that made Illinois the 47th state to recognize the day. Juneteenth marks June 19, 1865, when the last slaves were freed in Texas, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

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