DENVER — A group of Colorado lawmakers introduced a bill Thursday that, if passed, would establish Juneteenth as an official state holiday.
> The video above aired June 19, 2021: Denver celebrates Juneteenth with annual parade
Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day and Emancipation Day, celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday recognizes June 19, when Major General Gordon Granger announced slaves in Texas were free in 1865. This announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln declared the end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Juneteenth is a celebration of Black lives and our resiliency,” said Dr. Tara Jae, co-founder of Black Pride Colorado. “It is a reminder of our contributions to this country and the changes, although painful and often frustrating, that there is possibility and hope.”
Senate Bill 139 is being led by three Black lawmakers: Aurora Democrat Sen. Janet Buckner, Denver Democrat Sen. James Coleman and Denver Democrat Rep. Leslie Herod.
This effort comes eight months after Juneteenth National Independence Day was made a federal holiday, with President Joe Biden signing the bill in June 2021. All of Colorado’s congressional members voted in support of the federal bill, establishing the nation’s 12th federal holiday and the first since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.
RELATED: What is Juneteenth?
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