On the question of whether Juneteenth should be a national holiday, Mark Anthony Neal said that it could present an “ideal opportunity for the nation to reflect on something that was incredibly traumatic, not just for black folks in this country, but for the nation as a whole.” He added, “I think we’re in a moment where Juneteenth -- because it’s so connected with what is happening now, across the nation -- it might resonate now in a way that some other holidays don’t." Neal, a professor of African & African American Studies at Duke University, joined William Brangham of the PBS NewsHour on June 18 to speak about Juneteenth.

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