Juneteenth to Become Paid Holiday for City of Columbus Employees in 2022
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther today announced that in celebration
of Juneteenth full-time City of Columbus employees will be granted an
additional paid holiday this year, and June 19 will be observed as a paid
holiday for all full-time City of Columbus employees beginning in 2022.
Additionally, City Hall will be illuminated red, black and green – the colors
of the Pan-African flag – June 18-20.
Junteenth is celebrated annually on June 19 and marks the
day in 1865 when federal troops arrived in Galveston, TX, to assume control of
the state and announce the freedom of all enslaved people two and a half years
after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. It represents liberty, hope and
resiliency as what is widely considered to be the oldest African American
holiday in the United States.
“Over the past year, we have all
been reminded of the unrelenting power and promise of a free, inclusive
society,” said Mayor Ginther. “I encourage everyone, no matter your background,
to learn from the lessons of our past, consider the vital work that still lies
ahead and move forward, together, with renewed optimism and determination in
pursuit of a more equitable, honest and accountable society.”
In June 2020, Mayor Ginther signed a proclamation declaring
June 19 as Juneteenth in the City of Columbus and encouraged all residents to
join in its recognition and celebration.