Silver State Times

Gov. Steve Sisolak recently proclaimed June 19 as National Freedom Day in recognition of when slavery was finally ended in America.

The roots of Juneteenth date back to June 19, 1865, when a general order by union troops in Galveston, Texas, proclaimed that all enslaved people were free, approximately two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln; a recent press release from the governor's office said. 

“We celebrate Juneteenth in Nevada to remember a critical part of American history and pay tribute to the achievements and deeply-rooted culture of the Black community in Nevada,” Sisolak said in the release. “There is still a lot of work to do in our fight for equality – now is the time to renew our commitment to be a better nation, and denounce hate, racism and bigotry that is still prevalent.”

State of Nevada law does not permit Sisolak to unilaterally have Nevada State employees celebrate this federal holiday, so this year Juneteenth will not be viewed as a state holiday on Monday, June 20; the release said. The governor plans to work with state legislators during the upcoming Legislative Session to revise the State law to observe the holiday.