Sports world commemorates Juneteenth
On this day in 1865 – two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation – Union Army general Gordon Granger ordered the freeing of slaves in Texas, the last state in which slavery was permitted by a state government.
The occurrence became known as Juneteenth, the oldest-known commemoration of the end of slavery in the U.S., which has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the country since 1866. On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
It is the 11th American federal holiday and first to obtain legal observance since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was designated by President Ronald Reagan on Nov. 3, 1983. Juneteenth has also been referred to as Jubilee Day, Freedom Day, Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, and it is also often observed as a celebration of African American culture.
To commemorate this day, sports leagues and organizations, as well as former and current professional athletes, took to social media with powerful messages about the day's significance. Here is a sampling.
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Joel Klatt: Top 5 running backs in the 2024 NFL Draft
Bears did right by Justin Fields in trading him to Steelers
Dolphins, Bills had the same cap problem but totally different solutions
-
J.J. McCarthy's NFL Draft odds on the move; Giants jump up betting board
2024 NFL Draft QB rankings: Caleb Williams leads top 10 prospects
What can NFL Draft history of top-10 QB selections tell us about the 2024 class?
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Bears trading Justin Fields to Steelers for conditional sixth-round pick
2024 NFL Mock Draft: How has early free agency shaken up needs around the league?
2024 NFL Draft order: Every pick for all seven rounds