Juneteenth is officially a paid day off in Shawnee County after the county commission unanimously approved the new holiday.
“We are just overjoyed and happy,” said Norma Avery, president of Topeka Family and Friends Juneteenth Celebration, at Thursday's meeting. “We have to realize Juneteenth is not just one day but everyday.”
Shawnee County’s newest holiday will be observed the same day the federal government observes Juneteenth. The resolution didn’t remove any holiday to accommodate Juneteenth.
Juneteenth celebrates the day Union General Gordon Granger made it to Galveston, Texas, with news of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s surrender. The Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves and went into effect Jan. 1, 1863, but Granger didn’t make it to Texas until 1865.
The commission drafted the resolution after seeing action at a federal level. Commission chair Kevin Cook said the county doesn’t have to recognize every federal holiday, but wanted to add Juneteenth because of its impact.
“It does recognize significant impact in our community and impact across our nation,” he said.
The Link LonkJune 25, 2021 at 03:26AM
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‘Overjoyed and happy’: Juneteenth recognized as official holiday in Shawnee County - The Topeka Capital-Journal
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