As people gathered to celebrate Juneteenth at events across the U.S., former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors to his presidential center.

The origin of the Juneteenth celebrations marking the end of slavery in the U.S. goes back to an order issued as Union troops arrived in Texas at the end of the Civil War.

The United States government is catching up with Black people who have been commemorating the end of slavery in the United States for generations with a day called “Juneteenth.”.

SAN ANTONIO – The Witte Museum on Friday announced that the play “Ode to Juneteenth” will be brought back as part of the Gallery Theater performances that will be shown this fall. The play, written by nationally renowned playwright Eugene Lee, was first shown in 2018 as part of the Witte’s “Confluence and Culture: 300 Years of San Antonio History”. The museum said they were bringing the play back in celebration of Juneteenth. According to a press release, “Ode to Juneteenth” follows Emancipation Jones, who begins the play by illuminating and commemorating Juneteenth in San Antonio by the reading of General Order No. The daily schedule of Gallery Theater and daily demonstrations can be found on both the Witte’s website and their app.

Usher is using his platform to talk about the importance of Juneteenth, specifically, why it should be recognized as an official national holiday. In an op-ed for The Washington Post published on Friday, Usher advocates to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. "Recognizing Juneteenth as a national holiday would be a small gesture compared with the greater social needs of black people in America. On Friday, Usher urged his followers on Twitter to sign a Change.org petition to make Juneteenth a national holiday. Make Juneteenth A National Holiday!

Although slavery was already abolished more than two years earlier by the Emancipation Proclamation, it continued in some areas. Some businesses have professed support for the Black Lives Matter movement or pledged to donate money to organizations. Others have promised to hire more black workers or make other policy changes. This week, Nike CEO John Donahoe told workers they would get Juneteenth off starting this year as a way to celebrate black culture and history. The power of this historical feat in our countrys blemished history is felt each year," Goodell wrote in a memo.