Should Juneteenth be a legal state holiday? SC lawmakers to consider it next year
Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, could become an official state holiday in South Carolina if proposals in the State House become law.
Richland County Democrats state Sen. Darrell Jackson and House Rep. Kambrell Garvin filed similar legislation in their respective chambers ahead of the 2021 legislative session to add Juneteenth to a list of holidays recognized by the state.
Juneteenth is an annual holiday marking the end of slavery on June 19, 1865. While slaves were legally freed after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, news did not reach all enslaved African Americans until much later.
Juneteenth has also been referred to as “Juneteenth Independence Day,” “Freedom Day” or “Emancipation Day.”
In 2018, South Carolina designated June 19 as the “Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom Day.” But the Legislature did not make Juneteenth an official legal holiday, meaning state agencies, public colleges and universities are not required to observe it.
Gov. Henry McMaster has not publicly weighed in on whether he would support the initiative.
His spokesman, Brian Symmes, said Monday that, “the governor will pay close attention to this legislation — as he does with all legislation moving through the General Assembly — and will certainly offer his thoughts on any final version that may reach his desk.”
Jackson filed a similar bill in June last year. But the Legislature did not meet often enough in 2020 to advance the bill, especially after the COVID-19 outbreak.
Currently, 47 states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth. Though, not all celebrate it as a legal state holiday.
Efforts in Washington to make Juneteenth a national holiday also have stalled.
A bill filed in June by U.S. Sens. Corey Booker, Kamala Harris, Ed Markey and Tina Smith failed to make much progress, after COVID-19 resulted in a historically unproductive year in Congress.
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 12:39 PM.
