President Donald Trump's efforts to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and make changes to already-existing federal holidays has resulted in a growing concern about the future of Juneteenth, a commemoration of the day slavery was ended in the United States.
Jeremy Paul, a law professor at Northeastern University's School of Law, said folks shouldn't be worried, though. On his own, the president does not have the authority to strike Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Juneteenth was named a federal holiday under former President Joe Biden in 2021. Signed by Biden into law, June 19 has been recognized as Juneteenth National Independence Day since.
Juneteenth: Is Juneteenth a federal holiday? See 2025 holiday calendar
Juneteenth commemorates the complete enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed enslaved African Americans in secessionist states – signed by former President Abraham Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863.
