List of African-American holidays

African-Americans make up 12% of the American population and there are several holidays that celebrate them.

Federal holidays

The following are African-American federal holidays in the United States:

Date Name First celebrated Remarks
third Monday of January Martin Luther King Jr. Day 1986 The birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.[1]
June 19 Juneteenth National Independence Day 2021 Commemorates General Order No. 3, the legal decree issued in 1865 by Union General Gordon Granger enforcing the Emancipation Proclamation to the residents of Galveston, Texas, at the end of the American Civil War.[2]

State holidays

The following are African-American holidays celebrated in at least one US State or territory:

Date Name Number of States/territories celebrating First celebrated States Celebrating Remarks
February 4 or December 1 Rosa Parks Day 8 1998 Alabama (2018),[3] California (2000), Michigan (1998),[4] Missouri (2015), Ohio (2011), Oregon (2014), Tennessee (2019),[5] Texas (2021) The birthday or arrest of Rosa Parks
March 22 or April 16 or May 20 or July 3 or November 1 Emancipation Day 5 2005 Florida (2021),[6] Maryland (2013),[7] Puerto Rico, Washington, DC (2005),[8] United States Virgin Islands (2017)[9] Commemorates the Emancipation of slaves
March 10 Harriet Tubman Day 1 2000 Maryland (2000)[10] The death of Harriet Tubman
May 19 Malcolm X Day 1 2015 Illinois (2015)[11] The birthday of Malcolm X
August 4 Barack Obama Day 1 2017 Illinois (2017)[12] The birthday of Barack Obama
February 4 Transit Equality Day 1 2022 Wisconsin (2022)[13] The birthday of Rosa Parks
February 1 George Washington Carver Day 1 2023 Iowa (2023)[14]

Municipal holidays

The following African-American holidays are celebrated by different municipalities:

Date Name Number of Municipalities curating First celebrated Municipalities Celebrating Remarks
July 1 Liberation and Freedom Day 1 2019 Charlottesville, Virginia (2019)[15] Emancipation of slaves in Charlottesville
September 24 Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival 1 1987 Annapolis, Maryland (1987)[16] The arrival of Kunta Kinte

Other

The following are non-government African American holidays:

Date Name Organization First celebrated Remarks
April 15 Jackie Robinson Day Major League Baseball 2004 Opening day for Jackie Robinson's first season
June Odunde Festival Philadelphia community 1975 Celebration of the Yoruba people
February Black History Month Black Students Union 1970 February in the United States and Canada, October in the United Kingdom and Ireland
June African-American Music Appreciation Month 1979
December 26 to January 1 Kwanzaa 1966

References

  1. ^ "Federal Holidays". opm.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  2. ^ "www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/475". congress.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  3. ^ "Mrs. Rosa L. Parks Day". servealabama. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  4. ^ "Monday is Rosa Parks Day in Michigan". mlive.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  5. ^ "TN Celebrates 2nd Annual Rosa Parks Day with Bus Memorials in Major Cities - The Tennessee Tribune". tntribune.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  6. ^ "Emancipation Day in Florida - Division of Library and Information Services - Florida Department of State". dos.myflorida.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  7. ^ Young, Timothy (November 2, 2020). "Maryland officials recognize November 1 as Emancipation Day". DC News Now. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  8. ^ "History of Emancipation Day". emancipation. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  9. ^ "July 3 marks 170 years since Virgin Islands Emancipation - Government of the United States Virgin Islands". vi.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  10. ^ "Harriet Tubman Day Celebrated in March". news.maryland.gov. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  11. ^ "Illinois Designates May 19 as Malcolm X Day". Chicago Monitor. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  12. ^ "'Barack Obama Day' Is Now an Illinois Holiday". NBC Chicago. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  13. ^ ""Transit Equity Day" recognized in Wisconsin". weau.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  14. ^ "Iowa celebrates inaugural George Washington Carver Day on Feb. 1". msn.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  15. ^ "Charlottesville to honor Liberation and Freedom Day, not Thomas Jefferson's birthday". wtvr.com. Retrieved 2023-02-06.
  16. ^ "Kunta Kinte Heritage Festival: a Celebration of Culture". visitannapolis.org. Retrieved 2023-02-06.