NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Some lawmakers want to make sure communities have the means to celebrate Juneteenth across the state.
The bill would create a fund to give out money to communities so they can put on festivals or other events.
A proposed fund could help more Juneteenth festivals be organized across the state.
It would be administered by the department of tourist development, then those grants would go to local tourism and convention bureaus and non-profit organizations to host Juneteenth celebrations.
Juneteenth has been celebrated among black communities for generations, but President Joe Biden officially made it a federal holiday in 2021.
It celebrates when slaves in Texas finally got word about being freed more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863.
This fund would help local communities celebrate the holiday in a big way. The state fund can also accept gifts.
There is also a bill going through Senate and House committees now that could make Juneteenth officially a state holiday.
