On June 7, 2024, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice issued a state proclamation declaring Juneteenth an official state holiday.
This significant move ensures that June 19 will be a paid holiday for all public employees in the state, aligning West Virginia with the national recognition of Juneteenth as a day of profound historical importance.
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, were finally informed of their freedom, over two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The day has since grown to symbolize the end of slavery in the United States and is celebrated as a time for reflection and joy.
Governor Justice’s proclamation stated, “Now, therefore, I, Jim Justice, pursuant to the foregoing and by virtue of the authority vested in me as the Governor of the State of West Virginia, do hereby proclaim and order that Wednesday, June 19, 2024, shall be treated as if it were an official holiday, and the public employees of this State may be excused from their work duties on that day without charge against accrued annual leave.”
Juneteenth gained renewed national attention and momentum following its recognition as a federal holiday in 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. This legislative milestone came amid a nationwide reckoning with racial injustice, sparked by the tragic deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020.
Mark Anthony Neal, an African-American studies professor at Duke University, reflected on the evolving significance of Juneteenth in an interview with The New York Times. “The stakes are a little different. I think Juneteenth feels a little different now. It’s an opportunity for folks to kind of catch their breath about what has been this incredible pace of change and shifting that we’ve seen,” Neal said.
A pivotal figure in the journey to make Juneteenth a national holiday is Opal Lee, affectionately known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth.” Her dedication to the cause included a symbolic walk from Fort Worth, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to represent the delayed freedom of enslaved people in Texas. “People just think of Juneteenth as a festival and as a Texas thing. Unity, freedom, is what Juneteenth is all about,” Lee told Oprah Daily in 2021.
The official recognition of Juneteenth by West Virginia not only honors the historical significance of the day but also underscores the state’s commitment to acknowledging the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality.
As public employees enjoy a paid day off on June 19, it offers an opportunity for all to reflect on the past and look forward to a future built on unity and freedom.
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