Juneteenth becomes official public holiday in NY
ALBANY, N.Y. – Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery, is now an official public holiday in New York.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Oct. 14 signed a bill into law that designates Juneteenth, which also celebrates Black and African American freedom and achievements, as a state holiday.
Earlier this year, Cuomo issued an executive order recognizing Juneteenth as a holiday for state employees. Now it’s an official holiday for the entire state, meaning it will be up to private employers to decide whether to give workers the day off.
Cuomo said the law is in the spirit of the holiday’s message: encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.
“I am incredibly proud to sign into law this legislation declaring Juneteenth an official holiday in New York State, a day which commemorates the end to slavery in the United States,” Cuomo said in a statement.
“This new public holiday will serve as a day to recognize the achievements of the Black community, while also providing an important opportunity for self-reflection on the systemic injustices that our society still faces today.”
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865. That’s when the news of liberation came to Texas, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863.
African Americans across Texas were made aware of their right to freedom when Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston with federal troops to read General Order No. 3 and announce the end of the Civil War – and that all those enslaved were now free.
The order also meant they had the right to maintain a presence in Texas for the purpose of enforcement of emancipation among slave owners throughout the state.
“Finally, we are beginning to acknowledge the historic oppression and injustices that African Americans have endured,” said Democratic state Sen. Kevin Parker, who sponsored the bill. “This holiday is a first step in reconciliation and healing that our great state needs in order to ensure equity for all people.”