Should Juneteenth Be a Paid Holiday?

It’s been a year since the U.S. established Juneteenth as the 11th federal holiday, but should employers start to recognize it as a paid day off?

Juneteenth National Independence Day celebrates the day in 1865 when enslaved black people in Texas were officially informed of their freedom. Eighteen states observe the occasion as a permanent paid state holiday, and about 30% of private employers have recognized the holiday as a paid day off. Meanwhile, at least 24 states and the District of Columbia have legally recognized Juneteenth as a public holiday this year — and that number is set to increase in 2023.

Advocates of making Juneteenth a permanent paid day off believe all Americans, regardless of race, should have the opportunity to celebrate the holiday and "think about the future that we want" as a collective nation. Opponents of the idea have raised concerns about the costs associated with giving workers another paid day off for a holiday that "not enough people know about." 

Left-rated outlets were more likely to featured images that celebrated black culture. Some images from right-rated reports depicted protests related to the Black Lives Matter movement. Some left-rated outlets emphasized that Juneteenth is "still not" a paid state holiday. Conversely, right-rated outlets were more likely to accentuate that the 30% of employers that offered Juneteenth off this year "represents significant growth as the holiday becomes better known and established."