Activist Opal Lee and Juneteenth's path to becoming a federal holiday

By Harmeet Kaur, CNN

Opal Lee in open grassy space
Opal Lee, 93, stands in front of the lot where in 1939 White rioters attacked, invaded and burned her family's home.

For much of US history, Juneteenth has been a date observed mostly by Black Americans commemorating the symbolic end of slavery.

Since the reckoning reignited by the killing of George Floyd last year, though, the tide has changed enormously.

All but one state, as well as the District of Columbia, recognize the milestone of Black liberation in some form or another. Numerous companies mark the occasion by giving their employees the day off.

And on Thursday, President Joe Biden signed into law legislation that would establish June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day.

This makes Juneteenth the first federal holiday approved since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983. Getting to this point took longstanding pushes by activists, several legislative attempts and the momentum generated by the Black Lives Matter movement last year.

Here's how the fight to recognize Juneteenth evolved over the years.

Read full article by CNN HERE!