Long Branch May Make Junetheenth A Holiday

LONG BRANCH, NJ – An ordinance to make Juneteenth a city-recognized holiday was supposed to be introduced at Wednesday night's Long Branch city council meeting.

Juneteenth is the largest nationally recognized celebration of the end of slavery in this country. It refers to June 19, 1865, when Union major general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed slaves in the town that the Civil War was over and slavery was abolished.

According to the ordinance, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation in law last September, making Juneteenth a state holiday, celebrated on the third Friday in June.

This ordinance, if approved, would make Juneteenth a city holiday as well.

Also on the agenda for the meeting were ordinances for adding a handicapped parking spot on West End Court and banning parking on Leslie Court.