City Recognizes Juneteenth, Paid Holiday for Employees
On April 14, 2022, at a regular meeting of City Council, the City of Osawatomie Governing Body unanimously voted to approve the recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday within the City of Osawatomie.
From WhiteHouse.gov:
“On June 19, 1865 — nearly nine decades after our Nation’s founding, and more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free from bondage. As those who were formerly enslaved were recognized for the first time as citizens, Black Americans came to commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations across the country, building new lives and a new tradition that we honor today. In its celebration of freedom, Juneteenth is a day that should be recognized by all Americans. And that is why I am proud to have consecrated Juneteenth as our newest national holiday.
Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power.
A day in which we remember the moral stain and terrible toll of slavery on our country –- what I’ve long called America’s original sin. A long legacy of systemic racism, inequality, and inhumanity.
But it is a day that also reminds us of our incredible capacity to heal, hope, and emerge from our darkest moments with purpose and resolve.
As I said on the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, great nations don’t ignore the most painful chapters of their past. Great nations confront them. We come to terms with them.
On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice. And, we celebrate the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us to this time of progress and possibility. That work has been led throughout our history by abolitionists and educators, civil rights advocates and lawyers, courageous activists and trade unionists, public officials, and everyday Americans who have helped make real the ideals of our founding documents for all.”
Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday in 2021 by President Joe Biden.
The Governing Body of the City of Osawatomie recognizes June 19th or Juneteenth as an official holiday within the City of Osawatomie and designates June 19th as a paid holiday for all City of Osawatomie employees. Juneteenth will be recognized in the personnel policy as any other major holiday; when June 19th falls on Saturday, the holiday shall be observed on the preceding Friday and when it falls on a Sunday, the holiday shall be observed on the following Monday.
In 2022, the City of Osawatomie will observe Juneteenth on Monday, June 20th and City offices will be closed.
To learn more about Juneteenth and its importance to our national history, please visit the following:
National Museum of African American History and Culture: Juneteenth
Happy Juneteenth! Juneteenth.com