Juneteenth is now officially a federally recognized holiday.
Earlier this week, The House overwhelmingly voted “yes” to honor Juneteenth as a new federal holiday. Now, President Joe Biden’s has given the final approval with his signature.
The holiday celebrates the end of slavery, and marks the day the the last of the slaves were emancipated.
Organizers of the Lima Juneteenth Celebration say that although long overdue, they are excited for Juneteenth being recognized. But, there are still issues that need to be addressed and not overlooked by the holiday.
Len Archibald, head of community relations for the Lima Juneteenth celebration says, “The passing of a federal holiday isn't going to necessarily solve that. I hope it is a good step, though, to opening some dialogue what Juneteenth means, the history of racism and slavery in this country and I hope it just provides a sense of community for everyone.”
Lima's Juneteenth celebration will be June 19th from noon to 6 p.m. at Faurot Park.
