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IDPH Observes Juneteenth
The Illinois Department of Public Health is pleased to join with Illinoisans and people across America to celebrate Juneteenth. This state and federal holiday is observed each year on June 19 to mark the date when news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached Texas, the westernmost Confederate state. It is a holiday often associated with the end of slavery in the United States, even though that wouldn’t actually happen until months later when the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
This year marks the 160th anniversary of the arrival of union troops at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, bringing the first official news of the emancipation of enslaved people in that state. Since then, the occasion has been marked with celebration, and in 2021, Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, officially making the date a federal holiday.
Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom, and a reminder of the horrendous toll that slavery took on the American people. We continue to see the residual effects of the inequities forced on portions of the population 160 years later. At IDPH, we remain committed to erasing those inequities in health and health care in our state, and are dedicated to ensuring that everyone has the same opportunity for a happy, healthy life.
Addressing inequities in health outcomes remains a top priority at IDPH, regardless of whether those inequities are linked to race, income, geography, or other factors. Through our Office of Racial and Cultural Health Equity (ORCHE), and agencywide, IDPH works every day to tear down the barriers to equal access to care, and to make sure everyone gets the information and services they need.
As a reminder, all IDPH offices will be closed on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in honor of Juneteenth. We encourage all Illinoisans to join in the celebration of freedom and join us in our efforts to achieve optimal health for all.
