This year Hartford has officially recognized Juneteenth as an official holiday. In response, Local 1716 President Orlando Mercado said the following:
“I see a lot of towns and cities across Connecticut hosting Juneteenth events and celebrations,” Mercado said. “I’m pleased to see the engagement and education around the historical significance of this holiday, but at the same time more municipalities should fully observe Juneteenth and step up to make it an official public holiday. I’m proud Hartford did the right thing, even more so because African-Americans, who have celebrated Juneteenth for years, make up a large part of our union and Hartford residents.”
Read more about the City's decision in Hartford Courant's story below:
The city of Hartford has added Juneteenth as a paid holiday, one of just a few municipalities in the state to do so.
Connecticut added Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19 annually, as an official state holiday beginning in 2023, following its recognition as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021.
The decision to close schools or town buildings on that day was left to individual towns.
The Hartford decision was unanimous.
“On Juneteenth, we celebrate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in Texas on June 19th, 1865. Just three years ago Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday, and Hartford will follow suit to uplift Black history and often under-represented voices,” Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam said in a letter to city council advocating the action.
When recognizing Juneteenth as a state holiday, Gov. Ned Lamont noted the move was in contrast to efforts by some to limit teaching about slavery.
“While some elected officials in other states are working to block efforts to teach the true history of our nation, it fills me with pride that here in Connecticut we are embracing that history and working to educate everyone about how our nation was built and the significance of what this day means,” Lamont said. “I firmly believe that ignoring the reality of slavery and the impact that it has had on the United States for many, many decades after it was outlawed is an injustice and does not benefit anyone, of any race or ethnicity. Honoring and celebrating Juneteenth is a reaffirmation that a democratic society is not great because it is the perfect way to govern people, but because people have the ability to fix the imperfections of government and create a stronger, fairer, and more just future.”
