COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina state senator is calling for the state to make Juneteenth a statewide holiday, a movement nationwide that's been growing in popularity in recent days.
Sen. Darrell Jackson, a Democrat from Richland County, said he plans to file the fill to designate June as a holiday.
The holiday celebrates the day in 1865 when slaves in Texas were told by Union troops they were freed. Because of how remote the area was, they're believed to be the last slaves to get word of the news, over two months after the Civil War ended.
New York and Virginia's governors both announced their support for making Juneteenth a holiday in their respective states. Several businesses, including Target, have announced they'll be giving employees off for the day.
The day is celebrated or recognized by 47 of the 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. In South Carolina, the date was designated as a “Special Day” in 2008.
If the legislation passes, it could allow for state offices and other government entities to close on that day.
The current list of legal holidays in the state are as follows: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, President's Day, Confederate Memorial Day, National Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, and the twenty-fourth, twenty-fifth, and twenty-sixth days of December.
“I think, in this moment in time particularly, it’s important to acknowledge African American history in our state” said Senator Jackson. “South Carolina has a long, painful history of slavery and racial discrimination, as well as a record of honoring the Confederacy with monuments and other official gestures. It’s time to shift the narrative away from idolizing racist slave owners and toward recognizing the accomplishments African Americans have made in the face of enormous adversity”.