Local Politics

Juneteeth could become official Wake County holiday

Juneteeth could become an official Wake County holiday on Monday, when the Wake County Board of Commissioners is expected to support a resolution to adopt the holiday. Juneteenth recognizes the day in history when the last slaves were freed.

Posted Updated

RALEIGH, N.C. — Juneteeth could become an official Wake County holiday on Monday, when the Wake County Board of Commissioners is expected to support a resolution to adopt the holiday.

According to Chairman Greg Ford, the entire board of commissioners intends to vote in favor of the decision at its July 6 meeting.

If the resolution passes, the holiday will be a paid day off for government employees in Wake County.

Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin responded to Ford's tweet saying Raleigh would follow suit.

On Juneteenth of this year, protesters took the the State Capitol grounds to speak out against police violence and racism. They tore down two bronze statues from a Confederate monument on the Capitol grounds, dragging them through the streets and hanging them from streetlights. The next day, Gov. Roy Cooper gave the order to have all the Confederate monuments outside the Capitol removed.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.