Juneteenth to become an official Washington state holiday next year
Last November, King County added Juneteenth to its list of paid holidays.
On Thursday, Washington Governor Jay Inslee signed a measure making Juneteenth a legal statewide paid holiday, starting in 2022.
Today I signed HB 1016, which establishes Juneteenth as a state holiday.
We cannot end systemic racism without addressing the role it has played in our nation’s history. Juneteenth is a day of hope, and a reminder of our constant struggle towards equity and justice.
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) May 13, 2021
The state will observe Juneteenth on June 19 to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States, two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
Even after the Proclamation, states like Texas were slow to free its citizens. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, that the remaining slave states were liberated.
Here is a clip of Governor Jay Inslee signing bill HB 1016:
— Governor Jay Inslee (@GovInslee) May 13, 2021
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