By Allyson Tabor — Hallelujah! In 2021 the U.S. officially recognized Juneteenth as a Federal holiday, signed into law by President Joe Biden, with no opposing vote in the Senate and only 14 Republicans, including Rep. Tom McClintock, voting against creating the new Federal holiday named Juneteenth “National Independence Day.”
By Susan Gamache, El Dorado Hills — “Gay Pride Day” initially began as a day of commemoration, but soon grew to encompass a month-long series of events, and to be celebrated as LGBTQ Pride Month. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, and the greater issue of human rights.
By SUMMER DIXON, Oak Ridge High School Student —Throughout history, it is evident that the ability to vote has significantly evolved to expand the political power of citizens. Classical Greece, the Roman Republic, the United States, universal white male suffrage, and the 15th, 19th, 24th, and 26th Amendments all illustrate this distinct global and domestic development.