Juneteenth is officially a paid holiday for city employees in New York City.
On Monday, Mayor Eric Adams announced the decision, calling Juneteenth "a time for reflection, assessment, and self-improvement."
It’s time for our city to finally do what’s right and officially designate Juneteenth as a city holiday. This decision is long overdue, which is why it will immediately take effect this year.
Read my full statement: pic.twitter.com/W0yPmKTl5q
— Mayor Eric Adams (@NYCMayor) April 11, 2022
“As the second Black mayor of New York City, I know that I stand on the shoulders of countless heroes and sheroes who put their lives on the line to secure a more perfect union," Adams said. "Now is the time for me to do a small part and recognize one of our nation’s greatest wrongs."
Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday last year, is celebrated on June 19.
The holiday commemorates the anniversary of Union troops bringing the word to Galveston, Texas, in 1865 that slavery had been outlawed.
Then-President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier.
New York City is the latest city to recognize Juneteenth as a paid city holiday, including Phoenix and Chattanooga, Tennessee.