Dear Friends and Neighbors,
I am so pleased that this year for the first time, Juneteenth is being recognized as an official paid holiday for public employees in Westchester County and the State of New York, and as of 3:30 Thursday afternoon, as a paid Federal holiday when signed into law by President Biden.
The Board of Legislators and Westchester County government will be closed on Friday, June 18th in observance of the holiday.
Until this year, Juneteenth has been an official observance but not a holiday in the rest of the country. Prior to Thursday, New York was one of only five states that had made it a legal holiday. However, as of Wednesday, both the House and the Senate passed a bill to commemorate the day as a Federal holiday. With the President’s signature, it becomes law, and it will be the 11th national holiday recognized annually by the Federal government, enabling us to celebrate this significant moment in history as one nation.
While Juneteenth has always been an important occasion, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, it holds particular significance now, in light of the events of the past year.
It has been a tough year -- one that began with the May 25th, 2020 murder of George Floyd, and that culminated 11 months later in justice served on his behalf. In between, the spotlight of truth has uncovered and made known so many other injustices.
As we celebrate this year’s Juneteenth, I hope we have entered a new era, one that will bring lasting change in awareness, racial and social justice, and equity for all people.
It is also my hope and wish that we can enjoy the Juneteenth festivities in person in 2022, with the COVID pandemic behind us.
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