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A26 u.s. news
Diasabra 19 Juni 2021

Declaration of Juneteenth holiday sparks scramble in states

In Mississippi, Democratic the Legislature. A bill to rec-
state Rep. Bryant Clark has ognize it as a working holiday
filed bills to make Juneteenth fell a handful of votes short of
a state holiday for about 15 passing this year.
years. All have stalled.
It was defeated by an un-
Clark said Friday that he will usual coalition of Democrats
keep trying. He noted that who felt the day should be
Mississippi legislators took recognized as a full-fledged
four years to create a state holiday, rather than a work-
holiday honoring King after ing holiday, and conservative
the federal holiday was estab- lawmakers who opposed rec-
lished. In 1987, Mississippi ognizing the holiday at all.
legislators revised a holiday
named for Confederate Gen- Vaney Hariri, a Black busi-
eral Robert E. Lee that had ness owner who organized
been in place for decades, a march after Floyd’s death,
creating a joint holiday hon- said that vote showed the
oring both Lee and King. entrenched attitude of many
lawmakers who “would turn
Two other Mississippi law- down a day off rather than
makers said Friday that they celebrate your freedom from
plan to file a bill to eliminate pain and captivity.”
(AP) — Congress and ing of the federal Juneteenth and Florida issued their Ju- Confederate Memorial Day
President Joe Biden acted law with the paid holiday on neteenth proclamations Fri- as a state holiday and replace Arizona dragged its feet for
with unusual swiftness the books to be celebrated day. it with Juneteenth. years on Martin Luther King
this week in approving in 2021. The governors of Jr. Day, until it became the
Juneteenth as a national Washington, Illinois, Louisi- Ohio state Sen. Hearcel “Sometimes, progress is ex- only state that did not have
holiday. That shifted the ana and Maine, by contrast, Craig, a Columbus Democrat tremely slow,” said Clark, some sort of holiday inspired
battle to the states, where all signed more recent laws who is Black, said Friday that a member of the Legisla- by the slain civil rights leader.
the holiday faces a far less that were set to kick in for codifying Juneteenth in state tive Black Caucus. Several
enthusiastic response. 2022, when June 19 falls on law remains essential. He is communities in Mississippi That long delay cost Arizona
a Sunday, adding to the con- sponsoring a Juneteenth bill already hold Juneteenth cel- a Super Bowl and millions of
Nearly all states recognize Ju- fusing rollout. that passed the Ohio Senate ebrations. One is the capital dollars in tourism revenue
neteenth in some fashion, at unanimously last session, but city of Jackson, where the from canceled conventions
least on paper. But most have Louisiana Gov. John Bel Ed- time ran out for its consider- population is more than 80% and other events. It also in-
been slow to move beyond wards closed state offices for ation in the House. Republi- Black. spired a boycott by singer
proclamations issued by gov- a half-day Friday, only a few cans control both of Ohio’s Stevie Wonder and a protest
ernors or resolutions passed days after he signed June- legislative chambers. Minnesota has recognized song by Public Enemy called
by lawmakers. So far, at least teenth legislation, and Illinois the third Saturday in June as “By the Time I Get to Ari-
nine states have designated it Gov. J.B. Pritzker was among “My hope and expectation Juneteenth since 1996, but zona.”
in law as an official paid state governors who changed their is that Ohio will choose to the statute only obligates the
holiday — Illinois, Louisiana, states’ start dates to 2021. be a leader in the quest to governor to issue a proclama- Gov. Bruce Babbitt, a Demo-
Maine, Massachusetts, New honor Black history and the tion each year honoring the crat, issued an executive or-
Jersey, New York, Texas, Vir- In another twist, many states movement toward a more observance. That’s a com- der in 1986 declaring Martin
ginia and Washington. All but have laws that automatically equitable world,” Craig said. mon situation in the U.S., Luther King Jr. Day a state
Texas, where the events of recognize all federal holidays “And that’s not hyperbole. ... where the holiday is some- holiday. Babbitt’s Republican
the original Juneteenth took — even those not named in It concerns not only African- times called Emancipation successor, Evan Mecham, re-
place, acted after the killing state statute. Americans but all Americans. Day. scinded the order a year later,
of George Floyd last year. Put simply, Black history is saying Babbitt exceeded his
Such was the case in Ohio, American history.” Calls by Minnesota Gov. Tim authority.
This year alone, legislation to where Republican Gov. Mike Walz, a Democrat, to make it
make Juneteenth a paid state DeWine issued a Juneteenth Georgia law caps the number an official state holiday have Mecham’s action led to years
holiday died in Florida and statement late Thursday and of state holidays at 12, mean- failed to gain traction so far of divisive political maneu-
South Dakota and is stalled closed state offices in the ing Juneteenth could only in the Minnesota Legislature, vering, including a ballot
in Ohio, all states controlled manner of a hastily called be added if another holiday the only one in the nation measure that ended in defeat
by Republicans. But even school snow day. West Vir- was dropped. In other states, where Democrats control for King holiday supporters,
in Maryland, where Demo- ginia Gov. Jim Justice also including Oregon, whether one chamber and Republi- before Arizona voters ulti-
crats control the Legislature, declared Juneteenth a state Juneteenth becomes a paid cans control the other. mately approved the holiday
a Juneteenth bill passed one holiday at a last-minute vir- holiday will depend on union in 1992.
chamber only to die in the tual press conference. The negotiations. Hawaii had been one of only
other. governors of Connecticut three states left not to rec- Warren H. Stewart Sr., pastor
ognize the holiday at all. A of the Institutional Baptist
The effort recalls the drawn- bill marking Juneteenth was Church in Phoenix, helped
out battles over recognizing signed there Wednesday and lead a grassroots campaign to
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, in a second holdout state, establish Arizona’s King holi-
the last time the federal gov- North Dakota, in April. Nei- day. But he said he did not re-
ernment designated a new ther created a paid state holi- joice when Biden signed the
holiday. That legislation, fi- day, however. Juneteenth law. He fears it
nally passed in 1983, sched- will distract from legislation
uled the holiday to begin South Dakota still does not on vital issues such as voting
three years later. It set off bit- officially recognize the holi- rights and police reform.
ter debates in the states over day, but Gov. Kristi Noem has
whether to enact their own issued a proclamation cele- “I see it as a distraction,”
holidays. brating it. The governor does Stewart said, “almost as a
not have the power to make handout of some candy, but
Only a handful of states it an official state holiday — the meat of justice is still go-
headed into Thursday’s sign- that must be done through ing to be denied.”