America's latest national holiday
ZWF #19: Sunday, June 19, 2022
Today is the third Sunday in June, also known as Father’s Day. However, it is also June 19, known as Juneteenth in the United States. Juneteenth’s recognition has grown immensely over the last few years, but what exactly does it represent?
Inside this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts, a look at the importance of Juneteenth as a national holiday, and a peek at what Zander’s been reading this week. Plus, a some of the top headlines from the past week that you won’t want to miss.
Also, go listen to the latest episode of the Zander’s Facts podcast! Episode 66 features Three Big Facts, including facts on the January 6 Committee, the world of soccer, and the NBA Finals. Download and listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
Zander’s Weekend Facts is here to give you the facts about what has been going on in the world around us this past week. You’ll just have to read these facts, instead of listening to them on the Zander’s Facts podcast.
Here are Zander’s Weekend Facts for Sunday, June 19, 2022:
Juneteenth National Independence Day
In the United States, there are 11 federal holidays. One of those holidays was not recognized until 2021, but its importance can not be understated.
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, creating the 11th federal holiday in the U.S. Just two days later, Juneteenth was celebrated as a national holiday for the first time in U.S. history.
But what does Juneteenth represent and what are we celebrating?
Juneteenth marks the 19th day of June in 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas. That order informed the people of Texas of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all enslaved people in the United States. While slavery in America was not officially put to rest yet on June 19th, the date has been used since to celebrate the end of slavery.
Celebrations of Juneteenth began in Galveston the next year as “Jubilee Day.” Jim Crow laws and segregation assisted in dampening the celebrations, but the celebrations have rejuvenated over the last few decades.
In 1980, Texas became the first state to declare Juneteenth a state holiday. Today, all 50 states and Washington, D.C. recognize Juneteenth, but not all have made it a paid state holiday. In the aftermath of the George Floyd murder and subsequent Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, several other states joined Texas in making Juneteenth a paid state holiday, including New York and Virginia.
Currently, there are 17 states that have declared Juneteenth a paid state holiday. Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Washington all recognized Juneteenth as a paid state holiday.
The Juneteenth flag includes the American colors of red, white, and blue, along with a star and a burst. The star represents the state of Texas, along with the freedom of African Americans in all 50 U.S. states. The burst around the star symbolizes a new beginning for African Americans across America. Also, the arc created by the blue and red colors is meant to show a new horizon. The Pan-African flag is also being used to mark Juneteenth, with the flag using the colors red, black, and green.
Juneteenth reminds us of the inequalities that African Americans in this nation have faced, and inequalities that continue to this day. Remember that as you celebrate your three-day weekend. Happy Juneteenth!
To learn more about the origins and celebrations of Juneteenth, read this piece from The New York Times - Juneteenth: The History of a New Holiday
What Zander’s reading this week
This week, I have two important stories that I am recommending you take a look at.
First, one article I read this week takes a look at the pronounced political divisions the United States is facing at the moment. NPR’s Ron Elving writes on how the January 6 Committee is assisting in uncovering the divide in America. Elving focuses on culpable party primaries and mentions ranked-choice voting as a potential solution (which was detailed extensively on Episode 15 of the Zander’s Facts podcast.)
Check out featured article number one on NPR - In a time of national division, polarizing primaries are part of the problem
Another article I found in The New Yorker featured a question and answer with Barbara McQuade, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School and a former United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. Author Issac Chotiner asks McQuade what realistic chance the January 6 Committee has in presenting a sufficient case to the Justice Department against former President Donald Trump.
Check out featured article number two in The New Yorker - The Two-Pronged Test That Could Put Trump in Prison (Link for article on Apple News)
Rapid-fire Facts
Here are some of the top stories from the past week, in rapid-fire fashion:
The CDC finally approved vaccinations for children five years old and younger against the Coronavirus. On Saturday, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on Pfizer-BioTech and Moderna’s applications to allow children six months of age and older to receive their coronavirus vaccines. The first shots in young kids’ arms are expected to be administered on Tuesday. Children taking Pfizer’s vaccine will need three doses, while those taking Moderna’s will need two doses. With the announcement that the youngest children will be available to receive the coronavirus vaccine, all age groups are now eligible to receive the vaccine.
The Federal Reserve has raised its benchmark interest rates by the highest margin in nearly 30 years. On Wednesday, the Fed boosted rates by 0.75 percentage points, up to the range of 1.50-1.75%. The move by the Fed is seen as its biggest attack yet on surging inflation, a worldwide phenomenon that has persisted in the aftermath of the worst of the Coronavirus pandemic. Of course, the worry is that if inflation is fought too aggressively, the economy could plunge into a recession. Officials now expect the benchmark rate to end 2022 at 3.4%, while yearly economic growth estimates have been downgraded to a 1.7% gain in GDP this year.
Ukraine’s effort to join the European Union appears more likely after the European Commission has labeled Ukraine as a “candidate.” It will now be up to the 27 member states of the EU to determine whether Ukraine may join. However, once a state is selected to join, it takes an average of five years to complete the process, according to think tank, UK in a Changing Europe. The Commission also labeled Moldova as a candidate, while passing on fellow former-Soviet state Georgia for the time being.
Workers at an Apple store in Towson, Maryland voted on Saturday to join a union. The vote marks the first time that workers at an Apple store have chosen to unionize. Workers at the store plan to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union. The vote comes as a wave of unionization is reemerging across the United States. Workers at several companies, most notably Amazon and Starbucks, have voted to join unions across the country recently.
The remains of British journalist Dom Phillips were found deep in the Amazon rainforest on Friday. Phillips, along with Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, disappeared in Brazil nearly two weeks ago. It is believed that Pereira and his employer, UNIVAJA, were the targets of a criminal group. Fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira and his brother, Oseney da Costa de Oliveira, were arrested after the former fisherman confessed to the police to killing the two men. Attention has also been drawn to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been a critic of journalists and Indigenous experts in the past. Bolsonaro is up for reelection later this year, with his main opponent being former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
Zander’s Facts Sporting Club
All the latest headlines from the wide world of sports in Zander’s Facts Sporting Club:
The Golden State Warriors are the 2022 NBA champions after defeating the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The Warriors won game six of the series on Thursday night, 103-90, to defeat the Celtics and claim their fourth championship in eight years. Stephen Curry was named NBA Finals MVP for the first time in his career after averaging 31.2 points per game in the six-game series. The Warriors’ capture of the Larry O’Brien trophy is an improbable return to glory after two seasons of troubles. After falling to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, the Warriors suffered one of the worst records in the league in 2020 and failed to make the postseason in 2021. Thursday night’s Warriors win marks the conclusion of the 2021-22 NBA season. The 2022-23 season will tip off in October. The 2022 NBA Draft will take place this Thursday night beginning at 8:00 pm et on ABC and ESPN.
The 2022 NBA Stanley Cup Final has gotten off to a fascinating start. The Colorado Avalanche are facing off against the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning to claim hockey supremacy and the legendary Stanley Cup. Game one of the series went to overtime, with the Avalanche delighting the home crowd and scoring a game-winning goal in OT. Game two was not as close, with the Avalanche shutting out the Lightning and winning 7-0. With the Avalanche up two games to zero, the series shifts to Tampa with the Lightning on the ropes. Game three of the Stanley Cup Final takes place on Monday with puck drop just after 8:00 pm et on ABC and ESPN+.
FIFA has unveiled the 16 cities that will be hosting the matches of the 2026 World Cup. The 2026 edition of soccer’s quadrennial tournament featuring the world’s best will be the first to take place in three countries. The event will be played in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The 2026 World Cup will also be the first to feature 48 nations competing, up from 32. In Canada, the cities of Toronto and Vancouver were selected to host a combined ten matches. The Mexican cities of Guadalajara, Monterrey, and Mexico City were also selected to host a combined ten matches. The rest of the 60 matches, including all matches after the Round of 16, will be played in the United States. 11 U.S. cities were selected to host games. The cities that were chosen are Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. The 2022 World Cup will take place in Qatar, and will be played in November and December of this year.
Major League Soccer announced a historical media rights deal with Apple on Tuesday. The top soccer league in the United States announced that all of its games will be streaming through Apple beginning in 2023. The league will be receiving a minimum of $250 million per year from Apple, an increase of almost four times the league’s previous deal with ESPN, Fox, and Univision. MLS’ deal with Apple marks the first time that a major U.S. sports league will show all of its games on a streaming platform. Apple announced that a new subscription service will be launched that will include all MLS games. The service will be separate from Apple’s streaming service, Apple TV+. However, Apple will show some games for free on its Apple TV app and will show games each week on Apple TV+. According to Sports Business Journal, MLS is still negotiating with traditional rights partners, including ESPN and Fox, on simulcasting some games on television that would also be available through Apple.
Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson has decided not to take the head coaching job of the Charlotte Hornets. Atkinson had previously agreed on a four-year deal that would make him the Hornets’ head coach but has reportedly decided to remain with the Warriors as head coach Steve Kerr’s top assistant. The unusual reversal came after the Warriors won the NBA Finals on Thursday night. Mike Brown, who was the Warriors top assistant this past season, is leaving to become the head coach of the Sacramento Kings. Atkinson was previously the head coach of the Brooklyn Nets from 2016 to 2020.
Wrapping up the Facts
Before this edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts wraps up, here’s another reminder to check out the latest episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast. Download and listen to Episode 66, along with every episode of Zander’s Facts, wherever you get your podcasts. Check out Zander’s Facts’ Linktree page for more on anything Zander’s Facts related: Zander's Facts on Linktree
Did you know that you can now listen to the Zander’s Facts podcast on this site? It’s true! All episodes of the Zander’s Facts podcast are now available on zandersfacts.substack.com under the “Zander’s Facts” tab for your enjoyment. That includes the next new episode of the podcast, which comes out this Wednesday!
Remember to check out the next edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts next Sunday! If you haven’t already, make sure to sign up with the link below to get Zander’s Weekend Facts in your email inbox every Sunday so you don’t miss anything!
That’s a wrap on this week’s edition of Zander’s Weekend Facts. The Facts in print return next Sunday, June 22, 2022.