image

Juneteenth Independence Day is a federal holiday and will be observed by most government agencies and schools on Wednesday.

Unlike some federal holidays, like Memorial Day and Labor Day, that are observed on a specific day of the week, Juneteenth is celebrated on the actual day, June 19.

It commemorates the day the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached enslaved people via federal troops in Galveston Bay, Texas, in 1865. Texas was the western-most Confederate state.

More:Sparking the magic: Springfield nonprofit helps with literacy projects

Although President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 and it took effect on Jan. 1, 1863, slavery in America wasn’t formally abolished until the 13th Amendment was ratified Dec. 6, 1865.

Juneteenth is a blending of the words “June” and “nineteenth.” The holiday has also been called Freedom Day, second Independence Day and Emancipation Day.

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed legislation after the U.S. Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act.

Because it is a federal holiday, there is no U.S. Mail delivery, and banks will be closed Monday.

Here is a list of what is open and what is closed in and around Springfield for Juneteenth:

Government offices and courts

Federal, state of Illinois and Sangamon County offices and courts, along with City of Springfield offices are all closed for Juneteenth.

The administrative offices of Oak Ridge Cemetery and Lincoln Library are closed.

Schools

Springfield School District 186 offices will be closed for Juneteenth.

The University of Illinois Springfield campus is closed Wednesday.

The campuses of Lincoln Land Community College and Midwest Technical Institute will be open for Juneteenth.

LLCC host a 1.25-mile Juneteenth Freedom Walk at 8:30 a.m. on June 19. It begins at the A. Lincoln Commons.

Additionally, the LLCC Library will offer viewings of “The Tex Factor: The Journey of Opal Lee” at 9:30, 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on June 19. Lee is considered “the grandmother of Juneteenth.”

Transportation

Sangamon Mass Transit District buses will run regular routes on Juneteenth.

Tourist sites

Tourist sites, including the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and Lincoln’s Tomb, all will be open for Juneteenth.

The museum will be displaying its copy of the Emancipation Proclamation in the Library Building, 112 N. Sixth St., on June 15, and on weekdays from June 17 through July 3. The library is open 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. There is no admission cost.

“The Nature of Freedom: A Literary Commemoration of Juneteenth” debuts at the ALPLM in the Museum at 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. on June19 and at 11 a.m. on June 15.

There is no admission charge to the museum on Juneteenth.

Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.