LANSING, Mich. — Juneteenth is now a state holiday in Michigan.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a bipartisan bill solidifying June 19 as the day each year the state celebrates the liberation of slaves in the U.S. while honoring Black history.
“On Juneteenth, we come together to celebrate fundamental American values of freedom and equality, embodied by the stories and legacies of the Black community,” says Governor Whitmer. “June 19th will forever be known as Juneteenth in Michigan and I encourage every Michigander to reflect on our history and celebrate the values that we will continue fighting for together."
Work began last year to make Juneteenth a state holiday, which the state says was carried out as a collaboration between Governor Whitmer and state and union leaders.
“Juneteenth is an important opportunity to highlight the stories of Black Michiganders and celebrate the path we are walking toward the freedom, equality, and justice that is the promise of Michigan and America,” says Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II. “This bill will codify Juneteenth into law as a state holiday and ensure we take time every Juneteenth to recognize both the progress we have made and the work we must continue to do together.”
Juneteenth commemorates the day Union Army General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865 and informed the public that all people who were enslaved are set free. The 13th, 14th and 15th amendments were ratified thereafter.
