(NewsNation) — For more than 150 years, Juneteenth has held deep significance in many Black communities as a symbol of liberation and resilience.
While it is now recognized as a federal holiday, only some states have followed suit in making it a paid state holiday.
A 2024 report by the Congressional Research Service indicates that a minimum of 30 states, along with the District of Columbia, have formally made Juneteenth a permanent paid and/or legal holiday. This has been done through various legislative actions or executive orders. The states that have adopted this status include:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Jersey
- New York
- Ohio
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
On the other hand, states that haven’t enacted similar provisions for Juneteenth are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
It’s important to note that New Mexico isn’t part of this non-provision list. Although the state personnel board agreed to include Juneteenth in the lineup of paid state holidays for 2022, the report mentions that Juneteenth is yet to be acknowledged as an official legal state holiday there.
West Virginia also does not recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday, as confirmed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey on Thursday, NewsNation affiliate WOWK reported.
While some states have acknowledged Juneteenth in symbolic ways or through commemorative events, others have chosen to mark the end of slavery differently, or in some cases, still observe Confederate-related holidays.
For example, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation recognizing the holiday in 2020, but not since. Florida does recognize the day slavery ended in the state, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. The event is marked as Emancipation Day and celebrated in May, though it isn’t a paid holiday.
Additionally, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas commemorate some Confederate holidays throughout the year, according to a separate Axios analysis.
Mississippi and Alabama each celebrate three Confederate holidays as paid days off for state employees, including Robert E. Lee Day, Confederate Memorial Day and Jefferson Davis’ Birthday, according to Axios.
What is Juneteenth?
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, found out they had been freed — after the end of the Civil War and two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
Since it was designated a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth has gained more widespread recognition beyond the Black community. Many people get the day off work or school, and there are a plethora of street festivals, fairs, concerts and other events.
Over the decades, Juneteenth has also been called Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, Black Fourth of July and Second Independence Day among others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
