Celebrities who are calling for Juneteenth to be a national holiday, including Taylor Swift and Lupita Nyong’o

• Juneteenth, held annually on June 19, commemorates the end of slavery in the US and is celebrated by many Black Americans as a day of independence.
• Some states and companies already acknowledge it as a holiday.
• Now, celebrities including Taylor Swift, Usher, and Lupita Nyong’o are calling for the day to be recognized as a national holiday.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Taylor Swift tweeted that she’s giving all of her employees Juneteenth off from now on, and shared a video advocating for the day to be a national holiday.

The singer also tweeted that she would keep educating herself "on the history that brought us to this present moment."

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Usher wrote an op-ed saying that making the day a national holiday "can remind us of our journey toward freedom, and the work America still has to do."

"The liberation Juneteenth commemorates is cause for celebration, but it also reminds us how equality can be delayed," the musician, actor, and entrepreneur wrote in the Washington Post

"My heart is shattered by the ongoing injustices in this country, incited by its long history of racism that has led to deadly outcomes for too many of our people," he wrote. "This country must change."

He said the day could be observed by celebrating both Black Americans’ first "first step toward freedom" and their contributions to society, ranging from Black Wall Street to music to excellence in sports.

Actress Lupita Nyong’o wrote on Instagram that national Juneteenth recognition "would be one more way of acknowledging the intrinsic value of Black people and their history to the wealth and prosperity of the USA."

The "Us" actress shared a photo of Opal Lee, calling the 93-year-old the "force behind the movement to make #Juneteenth a national holiday."

Nyong’o also encouraged followers to sign a Change.org petition to support Lee’s fight.

Actor George Takei wrote on Twitter that "#Juneteenth should be a paid national holiday. Raise your hand if you agree, and pass it along."

Takei is best known for his role in "Star Trek" and his advocacy for the LGBTQ community and Japanese Americans.

Tom Hanks wrote on Instagram that Juneteenth is "a day to celebrate nationally."

The Oscar winner shared his message next to a picture noting that Juneteenth is "when America became a more perfect Union," meaning "all men are created equal."

Read more:

• How 15 celebrities are teaching their children about systemic racism and police brutality
• How Juneteenth, the day commemorating the end of slavery in the US, finally became recognized as a holiday by major companies like Nike and Lyft — and landed in the center of a Trump controversy