LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Lynchburg City Council has unanimously voted to make Juneteenth, a commemoration of the day slaves were legally freed in America, a paid holiday for all city employees.
Council members cited other localities making the move and the governor’s announcement that the day would be a paid holiday for state employees when explaining their decision.
“This is allowing an awareness for everyone in our community to understand Juneteenth, understand the importance of it to African American citizens in our community and to know that we’ve celebrated it. It’s not new. It’s new to some,” Mayor Treney Tweedy said.
Council will consider adding June 19 to the city holiday calendar beyond this year at a future date.