The Biden-Harris administration, maintaining its commitment to racial justice and the recognition of Black history as integral to the American narrative, has announced a suite of measures aimed at preserving African American historical sites and stories. According to a statement on the White House website, these actions are designed to coincide with the upcoming Juneteenth National Independence Day, a recently recognized federal holiday marking the end of slavery in the United States.

The slate of initiatives includes educational programs, historical preservation grants, and community engagement efforts. The National Park Service will waive entrance fees on Juneteenth to encourage visits to historic sites, and the National Archives Museum plans to display the original Emancipation Proclamation between June 18 and June 20, 2024. Running counter to an alarming trend of book bans, the Department of Education has appointed a coordinator to handle the civil rights implications and prevent historical erasure stemming from these bans, as the White House emphasized the importance of understanding African American contributions to society.

In an effort to fortify the foundation of African American heritage in communities, the administration is investing in local institutions with a pronounced boost in funding. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has earmarked a notable $6 million for the Museum Grants for African American History and Culture (AAHC) program in Fiscal Year 2025, a substantial increase marking a historical high. This funding aims to empower a national network of African American museums and organizations to improve their capacity to share this vital aspect of America's fabric.

Commemorating Juneteenth also involves recognizing the broader spectrum of African American influence, including formidable contributions in the arts. Celebrating this, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced that the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship will soon be granted to a new cohort, honoring an art form deeply rooted in the Black American experience with a public concert intended to pay homage to the African American origins of jazz. Vice President Harris has additionally marked June 19, 2024, as a National Day of Action on Voting, among others, reinforcing the relationship between America's history and its present civic duties.

These commemorative and protective efforts are part of the broader framework of policies and directives set forth by President Biden and Vice President Harris to ensure racial justice and the visibility of Black Americans' historical and ongoing contributions to the nation. The Administration's comprehensive approach ranges from advancing equity in federal governance to directly impacting communities through grants and empowering educational and cultural initiatives. As America approaches Juneteenth, the nation’s newest federal holiday, these programs serve as a stark reminder that the journey of racial reconciliation and equity is ongoing and requires robust support from the highest levels of government. "Since day one, President Biden and Vice President Harris have advanced racial justice and asserted that Black history is American history," reads a statement obtained by the White House, reaffirming the Administration's dedication to these principles.