COLUMBUS – Two central Ohio lawmakers want to make Juneteenth – the day that marks the end of slavery in the United States – a paid state holiday.
State Senators Hearcel Craig, a Columbus Democrat, and Andrew Brenner, a Republican from Powell, have introduced the measure which would make June 19 a permanent state holiday for all Ohio government employees.
“Juneteenth will be an annual reminder that although our policies for racial equality have come a long way, it is clear that we have much work to do to overcome the vestiges of systemic racism impacting our state and nation,” said Craig.
This year’s celebration came amid widespread protests over racial inequality and police brutality.
“Juneteenth was celebrated more widely across the country this year. By declaring it a state holiday, we hope this movement’s momentum will reverberate through generations to come,” Craig said.
June 19 marks the date in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed Blacks living there that the Confederacy had been defeated in the Civil War that slavery had been abolished.
Juneteenth, which began as a Texas holiday in 1980, is recognized in 47 states, including Ohio, though Texas is currently the only state where it is a state paid holiday.
A federal movement to make Juneteenth a national holiday has gained bipartisan support in Congress, and the governors of several states, including New York and Virginia, have vowed to make it a state holiday in their respective states.