How Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the US, finally became recognized as a holiday by major companies like Nike and Lyft — and landed in the center of a Trump controversy

• Although the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, it did not reach Texas, the most remote Confederate state, until June 19, 1865.
• June 19 — or Juneteenth — is now commemorated by many Black Americans as an independence day.
• While it is not a federal holiday, many companies like Twitter and Nike are now choosing to recognize the day by closing offices.
• President Donald Trump drew controversy by scheduling a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Juneteenth — the site of a 1921 race massacre. He has since rescheduled it for June 20.

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. "All persons held as slaves," the proclamation stated, "are, and henceforward shall be, free."

The news didn't make its way to Texas, however, for another two years. Major General Gordon Granger and other Union soldiers did not land in Galveston to declare the end of the war or the emancipation of slaves until June 19, 1865.

Now, June 19 is a holiday meant to recognize the effective end of slavery in the US. Juneteenth, a portmanteau of "June" and "nineteenth," has been commemorated by Black Americans as an independence day in Texas since 1866.

Juneteenth became a Texas state holiday in 1980. Today, 45 other states also recognize the day as a holiday, too. Celebrations typically include parades, cookouts, and red food and drink, like strawberry sodas and barbecue, as a tribute to hibiscus and kola nuts which came to the Americas because of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Juneteenth is not a federal holiday yet, but the movement is gaining traction

Some activists and organizations have been pushing for national recognition for years. While the US Senate passed a resolution last year recognizing "Juneteenth Independence Day" as a national holiday, it has yet to be approved by the House. Prominent politicians like Sen. Bernie Sanders have recently shown support for the movement.

Separately, some companies are starting to actively recognize the day internally. Twitter and Square were two of the first. On June 9, the companies' CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Juneteenth will become a permanent company holiday for "celebration, education, and connection."

Other companies, including Lyft, Glossier, Nike, and more followed Twitter's lead. On June 12, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the league will recognize Juneteenth by closing offices, as well.

These company announcements come after weeks of Black Lives Matter protests following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Trump initially planned to restart his campaign rallies on Juneteenth in Tulsa — the site of a race massacre

While there are differing accounts, most historians agree that the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 was prompted by unsubstantiated rumors of a black man raping a white woman. Racial tensions in the city already ran high because of the Greenwood District, a neighborhood known as "Black Wall Street" because of its 300 successful Black-owned businesses. Following the allegations, armed white residents stormed the Black neighborhood. Historians believe at least 300 Black Americans were killed in the incident.

President Donald Trump's announcement to start his 2020 election campaign rallies in Tulsa on Juneteenth immediately stirred controversy. In response to public outrage on June 10, Trump's campaign stated: "As the party of Lincoln, Republicans are proud of the history of Juneteenth, which is the anniversary of the last reading of the Emancipation Proclamation."

By late Friday, June 12, the rally had been rescheduled.

Trump tweeted: "Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday ... I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests."

Sen. Tim Scott, the only Black Republican in the Senate said "I'm thankful that he moved it" on CBS News Sunday. "The president moving the date by a day once he was informed on what Juneteenth was — that was a good decision on his part," he continued, insinuating the White House was unaware of the historical significance of Juneteenth and the Tulsa riots.