Juneteenth Bill Signing Ceremony Announced, Anne Arundel To Recognize County Holiday

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — Juneteenth will become a permanent Anne Arundel County government holiday on Thursday.

That's when County Executive Steuart Pittman will sign Bill 9-22 into law to recognize the June 19 celebration, which marks the abolishment of slavery in the United States.

Pittman invited residents to attend the bill signing ceremony in Annapolis. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. in The People's Park, situated at 44 Calvert Street. Attendees can park for free from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Whitmore Garage, located at 25 Clay Street.

For the at-home viewers, Pittman will live stream the ceremony on his Facebook page. Arundel TV will also broadcast the gathering on:

• Verizon Chanel 38
• Comcast channel 98
• Broadstripe channel 98
• This website

Debate Over County Holiday

The Anne Arundel County Council approved the holiday by a 6 to 1 vote on Feb. 22. District 3 Republican Nathan Volke was the only council member to oppose the action.

The Pasadena resident was concerned with the cost of adding an extra paid day off. Volke said the county spends $2 million on salary and benefits each working day. Although Volke previously supported the holiday's recognition, this price tag was too high for his comfort.

"I could not justify spending that money for another county holiday when there are already 3 personal days that can be used by any county employee for recognizing holidays of their choosing," Volke said on Facebook.

RELATED: What Is Juneteenth? 5 Things To Know About The Holiday

Volke's two Republican colleagues, Amanda Fiedler (District 5) of Broadneck and Jessica Haire (District 7) of Edgewater, voted for the Juneteenth holiday.

Council Chair Lisa Rodvien (District 6) said the importance of the commemoration outweighs its monetary effects.

"We're missing the big picture when we talk about cost," the Annapolis Democrat said, according to The Capital. "I feel like we need to be celebrating this holiday. I was, as I'm sure plenty of you in the room were, completely oblivious to how the Fourth of July is for African Americans."

On the first Juneteenth in 1865, Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the end of the Civil War and the abolishment of slavery. President Abraham Lincoln had already outlawed slavery with his Emancipation Proclamation more than 2.5 years earlier. Despite Lincoln's decree, slavery continued in Texas until Union troops arrived after the Civil War to enforce the declaration.

Growing Recognition Of Juneteenth

This will be the second year that Anne Arundel County has officially celebrated Juneteenth. Democratic County Executive Steuart Pittman signed an executive order recognizing the holiday last year.

"Celebrating Juneteenth as an official County holiday demonstrates our county's true commitment to freedom and equality - for all," the Davidsonville native said last year. "The growing national push for observance of Juneteenth is an important step as we move forward toward justice for this community, in light of centuries of racism, discrimination, and inequity."

Pittman's executive order only applied to 2021, however. Tuesday's County Council vote cemented the holiday in the annual calendar.

Republican Gov. Larry Hogan also recognized Juneteenth as a state government holiday last spring. The Maryland General Assembly would need to pass a bill for it to become a yearly state holiday.

"This is an important step forward for our country," Hogan said in 2021. "Maryland is proud to support this legislation, and observe this new national holiday."

Democratic President Joe Biden similarly signed a bill into law last year, making make Juneteenth a permanent federal holiday.

RELATED:

• Juneteenth Now Permanent Holiday For Anne Arundel Government
• Board Revises School Year Calendar To Incorporate Juneteenth
• Juneteeth Recognized As MD Holiday, State Marks End Of Slavery
• Annapolis Hosts Juneteenth Festival, Marks End Of Slavery
• Juneteenth Recognized As Holiday In Anne Arundel

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