New York City has declared Juneteenth an official holiday. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday announced that June 19 — the date that slaves were emancipated in the U.S. — is an official holiday.
Juneteenth is a Texas state holiday celebrated annually throughout the United States to commemorate Union army general Gordon Granger announcing in the city of Galveston, Texas, that all slaves in Texas were freed on June 19, 1865.
Mayor de Blasio’s announcement comes as millions of Black Americans plan to observe the day as an official holiday this weekend.
“We’ll work with all the unions to work through the plan, give this day the importance and recognition it deserves,” de Blasio said in a press statement. “Every city worker, every student will have the opportunity to reflect the meaning of our history and the truth.”
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Earlier this week, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed an order making Juneteenth – also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day – a paid holiday for state workers.
California Senator Kamala Harris says she will push for legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.
In related news, Snapchat removed a Juneteenth filter following backlash on Friday. The filter asked users to smile in order to break chains of slavery.
“We deeply apologize to the members of the Snapchat community who found this Lens offensive,” a Snapchat spokesperson told CNN Business. “A diverse group of Snap team members were involved in developing the concept, but a version of the Lens that went live for Snapchatters this morning had not been approved through our review process.”
