Dane County considering paid holiday to honor Juneteenth - Journal Times

dogol.indah.link

Return to homepage ×

Please subscribe to keep reading. You can cancel at any time.

Already a subscriber?

Loading&hellp;

No thanks, return to homepage.

×

Sign Up Today and Support Local Journalism

Enjoy more articles from Racine's Most Trusted Information Source. Subscribers can log in for unlimited digital access

People gather on the Olin Park lawn at the Juneteenth Rally June 19. 

Emily Shetler

Though Dane County has recognized the Juneteenth holiday, a resolution under consideration could acknowledge the day as a paid day off for government employees.  

Juneteenth is commemorated annually on June 19 and recognizes the date in 1865 — almost two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed — when enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom.  

“It honors the influence of the African Americans in our history, and we need to recognize our resilience, our intellect, our arts and crafts, and so many contributions the African American community has made in Dane County, Wisconsin,” Supervisor Shelia Stubbs, District 23, said. 

[Madison Juneteenth celebration includes yoga, local businesses, protest march]

The Personnel & Finance Committee unanimously recommended the resolution at its meeting Monday. If adopted by the Dane County Board of Supervisors, the resolution would add June 19 as an additional paid holiday for Dane County government employees starting in 2021. 

The holiday would create an additional $66,000 in overtime and holiday pay next year, according to the resolution’s fiscal analysis. 

Juneteenth has been celebrated in Milwaukee since 1971 and in Madison since 1990. The state declared it as a holiday in 2009. This year, the Dane County Board raised the Juneteenth flag at the City-County Building downtown to commemorate the day.  

The resolution acknowledges that the legacy of slavery currently affects African Americans. Further, it says that the “promise of liberation has yet to be fulfilled,” pointing to racial disparities in educational, economic, health and criminal justice outcomes. 

“Juneteenth is a day to reflect on how we can serve to create a better, more equitable future for all members in our community,” Stubbs said. 

Share your opinion on this topic by sending a letter to the editor to tctvoice@madison.com. Include your full name, hometown and phone number. Your name and town will be published. The phone number is for verification purposes only. Please keep your letter to 250 words or less.

0 comments

Stay up-to-date on the latest in local and national government and political topics with our newsletter.

The Link Lonk


August 05, 2020 at 12:15AM
https://ift.tt/3kav8v5

Dane County considering paid holiday to honor Juneteenth - Journal Times

https://ift.tt/2QoXNjh
Holiday