Following national and state declarations, all University of Nebraska–Lincoln offices will be closed June 18 in observance of Juneteenth National Independence Day.

Juneteenth, which is June 19, was declared a federal holiday by President Joseph R. Biden on June 17. Following the president’s lead, Gov. Pete Ricketts announced that State of Nebraska offices will also be closed June 18.

Per an announcement by Ted Carter, NU system president, no classes will be held and all regular employees will be granted a day of leave. Designated essential employees should report to work and will be compensated in accordance with campus payroll policies.

Due to the closure, individuals planning to attend scheduled events or performances on campus should call ahead to see if those events will be held.

The university will offer COVID-19 testing to students, faculty and staff on June 18. Learn more about availability here.

Video: President Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law

Juneteenth, otherwise known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, celebrates the day in 1865 on which all those forced into slavery finally became free.

Though the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect in 1863 and freed many, enslaved people in Confederate-controlled states did not see the law implemented in their territories. On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Texas and announced that the 250,000 remaining enslaved people within the state were free — a declaration that spurred the holiday we now know as Juneteenth.

The United States Senate voted June 15 to make Juneteenth a federal holiday in the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, followed by the House of Representatives on June 16.

To learn more about the history of Juneteenth, visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s website.