On Tuesday, Mayor Redmon declared a city holiday for Juneteenth, the day that celebrates and commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
Celebrated on the 19th of June, Juneteenth, also known as Jubilee Day, Liberation Day and Freedom Day, marks the day in 1865 that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free. This news was delivered two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation became law.
In June 2021, Juneteenth became the 12th federal holiday, and the first new one created since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was established in 1983. Juneteenth is not just Black History—it is American history. “Juneteenth, like Independence Day on the 4th of July, is a celebration of freedom that is important to our community and Country,” said Mayor Redmon.
In order to recognize Juneteenth, Mayor Redmon and City Council amended provisions of the Employee Personnel Policies to establish Juneteenth as a legal holiday for City staff. The City will observe the Juneteenth holiday for the first time this year, with City offices closed on Monday, June 20th.
For more information, please contact Wendy Poischbeg, Economic and Communications Director at poischbeg@snohomishwa.gov.