NFL will observe Juneteenth as league holiday, closing all offices

Why Juneteenth is a sacred day for African Americans

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States.

LOS ANGELES - The NFL announced on Friday that it will observe Juneteenth, the day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, as a recognized holiday.

"This year, as we work together as a family and in our communities to combat the racial injustices that remain deeply rooted into the fabric of our society, the NFL will observe Juneteenth on Friday, June 19th as a recognized holiday and our league offices will be closed," wrote NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in an internal memo to teams and staff. "It is a day to reflect on our past, but more importantly, consider how each one of us can continue to show up and band together to work toward a better future."

The announcement follows public support from the NFL and Goodell for the recent protests that have erupted across the country condemning police brutality and racial injustice.

The professional sports world responds to police brutality protests

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologized for 'not listening to NFL players' who had previously protested and spoken out against racial injustice in the country.

On Thursday, the league said it will commit $250 million over 10 years to social justice reform.

“The NFL and our clubs will continue to work collaboratively with NFL players to support programs to address criminal justice reform, police reforms, and economic and educational advancement,” wrote the NFL in a statement.

Last week, Goodell encouraged NFL players to “speak out and peacefully protest,” while apologizing for not listening to players in the league who had previously spoken out against systemic racism in the U.S.

The NFL and its teams have voiced their support for equality and called for change. Players want to see more. In a video released June, 4, NFL MVP Patrick Mahomes and several of his peers asked the league to “condemn racism and the systemic oppression of black people” and “admit wrong in silencing players from peacefully protesting.”

Read Goodell’s memo on Juneteenth here:

Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19th, commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation, made effective by President Lincoln on January 1, 1863 declared that all persons held as slaves be freed, slavery persisted throughout the course of the Civil War. It was not until two and a half years later, on June 19th 1865, when Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas and declared the war to be over, that all of those enslaved became free.The power of this historical feat in our country's blemished history is felt each year, but there is no question that the magnitude of this event weighs even more heavily today in the current climate. Juneteenth not only marks the end of slavery in the United States, but it also symbolizes freedom – a freedom that was delayed, and brutally resisted; and though decades of progress followed, a freedom for which we must continue to fight.