JUNETEENTH- A PAID HOLIDAY FOR SOME WORKPLACES
Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it took several years for Union troops to defeat the Confederacy in battle, and several more months to spread news of the war’s outcome everywhere slaves were held. On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of the war and slavery, freeing those who remained in bondage.
“Juneteenth not only marks the end of slavery in the United States, but it also symbolizes freedom — a freedom that was delayed, and brutally resisted; and though decades of progress followed, a freedom for which we must continue to fight,” said a statement from Goodell.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and Seven Hills-based Futuri Media are among the local companies that have decided to make Juneteenth a paid holiday.
“We encourage everyone to use this day to learn more about freedom for all, the fight for equality, and the struggle to end racial injustice,” said an official statement the Cavs posted on Twitter.
View more on saobserver.com as we celebrate Juneteenth this week!
