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Alabama city adds Juneteenth as holiday for its employees

Flag-bearer Kimberly Jones looks off the Walnut Street prior to the event. 100 flag-bearers combined with 55 flags hung from the bridge commemorated 155 years since emancipation form slavery. People gathered during the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas's 3rd Annual Juneteenth Independence Day Commemoration, "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters," on Friday, June 19, 2020. / Staff Photo by Robin Rudd
Flag-bearer Kimberly Jones looks off the Walnut Street prior to the event. 100 flag-bearers combined with 55 flags hung from the bridge commemorated 155 years since emancipation form slavery. People gathered during the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas's 3rd Annual Juneteenth Independence Day Commemoration, "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters," on Friday, June 19, 2020. / Staff Photo by Robin Rudd Flag-bearer Kimberly Jones looks off the Walnut Street prior to the event. 100 flag-bearers combined with 55 flags hung from the bridge commemorated 155 years since emancipation form slavery. People gathered during the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts & Ideas's 3rd Annual Juneteenth Independence Day Commemoration, "A Bridge Over Troubled Waters," on Friday, June 19, 2020. / Staff Photo by Robin Rudd

By Associated Press 3 min read

PRATTVILLE, Ala. (AP) – An Alabama city is giving its employees an additional paid holiday after its City Council voted to recognize Juneteenth.

The holiday marks June 19, 1865, when federal troops entered Galveston, Texas, some two months after the Civil War ended. The day, also known as “Freedom Day,” was established to mark the end of slavery in the country.

Prattville City Council District 2 Councilman Marcus Jackson, the sole Black member on the panel, lobbied for the recognition. Ideas ranged from a city-sponsored event to a holiday, The Montgomery Advertiser reported.

“It’s a good day in Prattville,” Jackson said. “I’m very appreciative that the City Council passed the resolution unanimously. Having the paid holiday is important because it marks a day when a large group of Americans learned about their freedom. It is our shared history, as Americans.

“We have made great progress since then. But we still have to work on our efforts to ensure diversity and inclusivity. Having this paid holiday can help keep a spotlight on those efforts.”