“Last year, as our country responded to the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Juneteenth took on a greater meaning and received greater awareness.”
ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Juneteenth is officially a holiday in St. Louis County.
The Civil Service Commission agreed at the request of County Executive Sam Page to add the holiday to the county calendar beginning this year.
This comes after Page closed county offices last year with the promise to seek approval from the Civil Service Commission to make it a standing holiday in the county.
“Last year, as our country responded to the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, Juneteenth took on a greater meaning and received greater awareness,” Page said. “I heard from many of our employees and residents about what the day means to them. I am pleased to announce today that the Civil Service Commission voted to make Juneteenth an official county holiday.”
Juneteeth is celebrated on June 19 and marks the anniversary of the end of slavery in the United States.
“It’s important that we all take the opportunity to commemorate the historic gravity of Juneteenth,” Page said. “It’s a day to appreciate the changes that we have seen since the 19th century while also reflecting upon how we can each play a role in the changes that are yet to come.”
The Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves in the United States, was issued by President Abraham Lincoln in January 1863. However, it took much longer for news of his order to spread, and didn’t reach slaves in Galveston, Texas, until June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger read the proclamation there. Generations have celebrated on June 19 ever since.
The name Juneteenth comes from a blending of the date.
The holiday serves as an opportunity to cherish freedom, but also poignantly acknowledge the history of slavery in the country.
February 19, 2021 at 09:28AM
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Juneteenth now an official holiday in St. Louis County - KSDK.com
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