CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced he will not recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday, causing some confusion for state employees who work in county and city buildings.
“State workers have to report to work, but county buildings where many state workers do work are closed,” said Kanawha County Commission President Ben Salango. “So, I think a lot of them are going to work remotely or if they don’t want to work remotely, they take PTO. But it’s an unusual situation.”
Salango said it’s required that county employees have the day off, but Morrisey is allowed to make the decision he made.
“Each administration is different. They can recognize whatever holidays they want to recognize,” he said. “Certainly, it’s within Governor Morissey prerogative and his discretion to do that.”
Not everyone is happy with his decision to do so. Rev. Matthew J Watts said Juneteenth holds importance to many West Virginians.
“Juneteenth becomes a way to really educate people really about the impact of slavery in West Virginia and the fact that we were a slaveholding state,” Watts said.
West Virginia became a state on June 20, 1863, but not because they were against slavery. Watts said there’s artifacts dating back to that period right in the capitol city.
“Slaves in coal mines, slaves in salt mines right up at Belle and Rand West Virginia,” he said. “Slaves worked in steel mills to some degree. So, slave labor was critically important.”
He hopes West Virginians can take the day to educate themselves on the state’s history.
“I was never taught that slavery existed in West Virginia,” he said. “As a matter of fact, we were told West Virginia succeeded from Virginia over the slave issue and that’s what I believed until I was well into my adulthood.”
Watts is joining Delegates Sean Hornbuckle and Hollis Lewis Thursday for a Juneteenth celebration at the Capitol at 10:30 am.
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