June 19 is what most acknowledge as Juneteenth. This is the day slaves in Texas were finally told that they were free in 1865. Ironically, this happened two years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. I remember the first time I got my dose of the celebration. It was in Columbus, Mississippi, and there were various vendors and music blaring out of speakers all around me.

There are many in the Black community who opt out of celebrating the Fourth of July and choose to celebrate on June 19. This is why this latest news is truly something to be excited about. There is a bill making its way to the Louisiana Senate in an effort to make it a state holiday. Sure, we would love to be able to be around our families and eat well, but I truly believe this should be a time to really learn more about our heritage.

We could take it as more than just a day off and remember our grandparents and ancestors who were slaves and learn more about where we came from. There are currently 47 states that currently recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday. Hopefully, Louisiana will do the right thing and join the rest of them.

LOOK: Here are the biggest HBCUs in America

More than 100 historically Black colleges and universities are designated by the U.S. Department of Education, meeting the definition of a school "established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans."

StudySoup compiled the 20 largest historically Black colleges and universities in the nation, based on 2021 data from the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. Each HBCU on this list is a four-year institution, and the schools are ranked by the total student enrollment.

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