Could Juneteenth become an official holiday in the City of Goldsboro?
At Monday’s city council meeting, Council member Gene Aycock brought up the possibility of marking June 19th as a city holiday.
Aycock suggested at least recognizing the day and then making a decision on whether city employees would have Juneteenth off based on the city’s finances.
Mayor Chuck Allen said the state may end up declaring Juneteenth a holiday.
Council member Taj Polack stressed the importance of Juneteenth, noting there was still a three year period that slaves were still not considered American citizens between the signing of the 13th and 14th Amendments.
While there did not seem to be any dissent from the council, the Goldsboro city attorney and clerk have been asked to look into the proposal further.
Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when the final slaves in the U.S. — in Galveston, Texas — were notified that they had been freed through the Emancipation Proclamation, which had become law two and a half years earlier.
