After becoming a federal holiday last year, Juneteenth was observed last week, likely for the first time for millions of Americans. Juneteenth is a celebration of June 19, 1865, the date that a Union Army general arrived in Galveston, Texas to inform enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended, President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and they were free.Though it has been celebrated across the country for more than 150 years, the bill designating the holiday wasn’t signed into law until last year. President Joe Biden approved the legislation on the week of Juneteenth in 2021; with limited time between the signing of the bill and the actual holiday in 2021, this is the first year that much of the country recognized Juneteenth, June 19, as a federal holiday. And with the date falling on Sunday, observation of the day was spread out.In Livingston, township offices were closed on Friday, June 17, in observation of Juneteenth. Livingston’s Committee for Diversity and Inclusion also held a flag raising at Town Hall on that day. The federal holiday, however, was observed on Monday, June 20 – the weekday closest to the holiday – so banks, post offices, the stock market, and several other businesses and services were closed to start the week. Here at the Tribune, we were given a floating holiday to use as we pleased.Not all states granted their employees days off. According to reports, only 18 states recognize Juneteenth as a paid day off for workers; we are proud that New Jersey is one of them.Next year, Juneteenth falls on a Monday, so we should have a more unified observation of the holiday. We look forward to growing Juneteenth celebrations in town over the next few years the holiday becomes further entrenched in our yearly calendars and plans.
