Kansas Gov. Kelly announces Juneteenth will become state holiday

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Kansas will designate Juneteenth as a state holiday, joining 28 other states and the District of Columbia, Gov. Laura Kelly said Tuesday.

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Kelly, a Democrat, said in a news release that establishing the state holiday "provides Kansans an opportunity to celebrate our state's diversity and honor the ongoing struggles for racial equality."

Democratic Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly speaks during a rally for teachers and education funding, April 25, 2023, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kansas. (AP Photo/John Hanna, File)

Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. For generations, Black Americans have recognized the end of one of the darkest chapters in U.S. history with joy, in the form of parades, street festivals, musical performances or cookouts.

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In 2021, President Joe Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday.