Waltham Recognizes Juneteenth Day: Mayor

WALTHAM, MA —Mayor Jeannette McCarthy proclaimed Friday, as "Juneteenth Day" in the City of Waltham, in what may be a first for the city. The day, which is a portmanteau of June 19 has been set aside to celebrate the end of slavery in America stretching back to its founding in 1865.

The holiday has taken on a new meaning with racial justice rallies, marches and protests sparked by the deaths of black people at the hands of police across the country.

Juneteenth celebrates the day in 1865 that Union troops rode into Galveston, Texas, and announced that the Civil War had ended and President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation. There are celebrations in Massachusetts — including at the Boston African American National Historical Site —this year, with many mixing in themes from recent demonstrations.

Last year the US Senate passed a resolution recognizing "Juneteenth Independence Day" as a national holiday, but the House has yet to approve it. The National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, an organization based in Mississippi has been pushing for this for years.

Texas began made it a state holiday in 1980. A number of other states followed suit either observing the day in some fashion or making it an official holiday.

Twitter, Nike, the National Football League, Vox and other major businesses have all recently announced they plan to recognize Juneteenth as a paid company holiday this year.

Events:

• Juneteenth In Waltham: Celebrate Freedom hosted by Girl Scouts ...
• Celebrate Juneteenth At These MetroWest Events
• What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday...

Also read:

• Waltham Police Department Amends Use Of Force Policy
• Waltham Committee Supports Black Lives Matter Resolution

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how to post a press release, a column, event or opinion piece.