Juneteenth Is Officially A Holiday In Illinois

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Juneteenth is an official holiday in Illinois, the latest state to make the designation official.

It marks June 19, 1865, after the Civil War ended and Union soldiers delivered the news in Texas that African American people were free from slavery. It happened two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.

Cook County designated Juneteenth a paid holiday for government employees in December.

"This year, Cook County and the nation have experienced unprecedented racial and civil unrest," Commissioner Stanley Moore said at the time. "The call to recognize Juneteenth in light of these unfortunate events is stronger than ever."

Now, state officials are following suit.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the measure Wednesday (June 16), a few days ahead of what’s now recognized as an official holiday for educators and state employees. Pritzker’s office clarified that the first paid state holiday would happen in 2023, since Juneteenth will fall on a Sunday next year, the Associated Press reported on Thursday (June 17).

“It is our privilege as Illinoisans to house this great document and it is our sacred responsibility to keep its moral compass alive in our own times, especially as we become a leader in the nation in the depth of our recognition of this new Juneteenth state holiday,” Pritzker said.

Find a list of Juneteenth events coming up in Chicago here.


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