Juneteenth To Become Paid Holiday In 1 Ohio County

COLUMBUS, OH — Juneteenth will become an official, paid holiday for Franklin County employees starting June 19, 2021. The holiday will replace Columbus Day as a county holiday.

States, counties and cities around the nation are beginning to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday. June 19 marks the day the enslaved were emancipated in Galveston, Texas, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation

"June 19th celebrates the abolition of slavery in America, and the recognition that African Americans are entitled to equal rights in this country they helped to build. Yet 155 years later, their ancestors and other people of color are faced with unequal opportunity in pursuit of the American Dream," said the the Franklin County Board of Commissioners in a statement.

Ohio, like all other states in the U.S., has seen a host of protests over racial inequality and police brutality. With increased racial awareness, officials have proposed sweeping law enforcement reforms and statues of Christopher Columbus and Confederate leaders have been removed from public venues. Now Franklin County is moving to celebrate Juneteenth.

"On this Juneteenth, we recognize the struggle that so many have endured and are still enduring to help us realize the dream of a more perfect union, and we stand with our residents in the ongoing fight for racial equity," the Franklin County Board of Commissioners.