Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is highlighting Juneteenth, which became an official national holiday through bipartisan votes by Congress in 2021, and released the following statement:

“On Juneteenth, we celebrate shared ideals of freedom that can give us powerful unity as a country. Freedom is a cherished value that America’s founders declared a God-given right, but those blessings of freedom were not yet available to all. That freedom became the life’s mission and calling for many American abolitionists, but it did not become a nationwide reality until after hundreds of thousands of lives were lost in a long and bloody Civil War.

“The cause of freedom prevailed then, and has been defended since. Our great nation, including our own Toa o Samoa, lifts up the enduring cause of freedom today throughout the world.

“On Juneteenth, we send our love and goodwill to African American countrymen and women that descend from that Civil War history. We celebrate ‘life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness’ together, and our dedication to a strong, united country for the generations ahead.”

Federal Holiday Juneteenth Independence Day Declared Locally

A holiday has been declared in the territory for Juneteenth Independence Day, Thursday, June 19, 2025 by Governor Pulaali’i N. Pula in a general memorandum, dated June 16, 2025.

All government offices will be closed on that day with those required to perform essential services on that day receiving holiday wages in accordance with the law and regulations.

Gov. Pulaali’i points out that “Juneteenth Independence Day is a time to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

“I encourage each of you to take a moment this Thursday to reflect on our nation’s difficult past, celebrate the progress we’ve made, and honor all those who gave their lives in the pursuit of freedom and a more just society.”

The governor thanked all government employees for their continued hard work and dedication and wished all a meaningful and safe holiday.

BACKGROUND

 Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom. The date is in commemoration of June 19, 1865, when news of freedom finally reached the last known place practicing slavery in the United States — two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on New Year’s Day, 1863.

The two largest Confederate armies had surrendered to Union forces in April of that same year, ending all major fighting of the Civil War.