KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Officials in Kansas have celebrated as 2024 marks the first year of Juneteenth being commemorated as a state holiday.
On Tuesday, June 18, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly says she joined the Kansas African American Affairs Commission to celebrate Juneteenth at the Statehouse. The 2024 celebration marks the first year Juneteenth will be observed as a state holiday in Kansas.
“Juneteenth is a time to celebrate the progress we have made and acknowledge the ongoing struggles for racial equality,” Gov. Kelly said. “Kansans have long observed this significant turning point in our nation’s history, and celebrating Juneteenth as a state holiday provides time for reflection.”
Kelly noted that Juneteenth was designated as a state holiday in October 2023 and has issued proclamations to recognize the day each year since 2020.
In observance of the holiday, state officials indicated that Executive Branch offices under the Kansas Governor’s authority will be closed.
“The path to having Juneteenth become a state holiday was paved long before me,” said Stacey Knoell, Executive Director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. “I know many advocates, legislators, and Kansans were striving for this recognition. I am glad it has become a reality.”
State officials said Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the date the last enslaved Americans were freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. In 2021, Juneteenth became the first federal holiday created in more than four decades.
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