WASHINGTON, June 19 (UPI) -- Sunday marks Juneteenth, celebrating an end to slavery, and advocates said they would once again appeal to Congress to make it an official U.S. holiday.
Juneteenth began 146 years ago to mark the anniversary of the announcement in Galveston, Texas, that President Lincoln had officially abolished slavery.
CNN said Juneteenth is officially marked in 36 states and 200 cities, and supporters want to make it a nationwide event.
The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation said it planned to call on Congress to declare the occasion an official holiday. The group has been trying to do so for a decade.
President Obama issued a written statement Sunday that Juneteenth was more than a holiday for African-Americans.
"Our nation is stronger because of the generations of struggles for equal rights and social justice, and our culture is richer because of the contributions of African Americans throughout our history," said Obama. "This is why Juneteenth, while rooted in the history of a people, can be celebrated by all Americans."
