On Monday evening, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris hosted a Juneteenth concert at the White House featuring Gladys Knight and Patti LaBelle. Despite returning from a five-day trip to Paris, France just that evening, an exhausted-looking Biden made his way to the South Lawn for the event.
The White House proudly announced that in 2021 President Biden signed bipartisan legislation establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. This move was touted as a way for all Americans to feel the power of this day, learn from our history, celebrate our progress and engage in the work that continues.
Yet Biden appeared void of life while others clapped and sang. Watch:
It’s worth noting that Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday because it is the only instance in 100 years when Democrats were not accused of persecuting or killing blacks. Many have pointed out that just a year before making it a federal holiday, Biden seemed to have no clue what Juneteenth was and even confused it with the Tulsa Massacre.
Interestingly, former President Barack Obama never tweeted about Juneteenth or gave a speech about the event. It seems that the significance of Juneteenth has only recently come to light amongst Democrats.