Juneteenth is a step closer to becoming an official holiday in the City of Pittsburgh.
Mayor Bill Peduto is introducing a bill to the City Council following up on his pledge to make Juneteenth an official holiday. Last August, Peduto announced his intentions at a Black Voting Rights Forum at St. Benedict the Moor Church in the Lower Hill District.
“Juneteenth reminds us of the rich history of Black Pittsburgh and celebrates those who worked hard so that Black people’s voices could be heard through voting,” said Peduto. “Many of us, particularly privileged white men, have not always listened as much as we should have. The time is now to make that change permanent and formally set aside this holiday to celebrate Black voices.”
Juneteenth, celebrated each year on June 19, commemorates the day in 1865 that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and spread the news that the Civil War ended and slaves had been freed. The announcement came two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln became law.
The legislation from the Department of Human Services and Civil Service will be introduced Tuesday and discussed at Council’s Standing Committees meeting on Feb. 10.
“I think the fact that the City will be making it an official holiday will obviously bring new attention to it on the part of all people,” said Tim Stevens, chairman and CEO of Pittsburgh’s Black Political Empowerment Project. “It will elevate its importance and relevance coming out of a year that was emotional, political and educational in terms of activism.
“So, I think with it being an official holiday here in the city it will bring about a new level of examination of that historical moment and bring a new level of attention on the part of the entire community of all races and ethnicities and that’s a good thing.”
Since the June 19 holiday falls this year on a Saturday, it is set to be celebrated on Friday, June 18.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf in June declared Juneteenth a state holiday.
