Morrisey, who ended DEI in West Virginia, doesn’t think Juneteenth is worth a state holiday

Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued an executive order on his second day in office to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs in West Virginia, and now he’s said that state employees will not get the Juneteenth holiday off.

Juneteenth, celebrated on June 19, marks the end of slavery in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation took effect on Jan. 1, 1863, it took until June 19, 1865 for that news to reach Galveston Bay, Texas. 

When WOWK 13 News asked the governor’s office if state employees would be given the day off, the governor’s Deputy Press Secretary Drew Galang said no.

“Here is our statement on Juneteenth activities, which you can attribute to me: Gov. Morrisey will be formally recognizing Juneteenth with an official proclamation recognizing the significance of the day and will encourage all West Virginians to take a moment to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. Due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia, state government will not be sponsoring any formal activities.”

Is a moment all it’s worth to acknowledge such an important part of our country’s history?

On June 17, 2021, former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act which established Juneteenth as a federal holiday. 

In 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, former Gov. Jim Justice issued proclamations declaring Juneteenth a state holiday. Is Justice really more woke than Morrisey?

Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, which deals with all underserved citizens across West Virginia, hosted a Juneteenth celebration last year.

I reached out to the office to ask if it would host any events this year for Juneteenth, and if not, did they have a statement. I received the exact same exact statement that the governor’s office released. No additional comment.

Juneteenth is followed by West Virginia Day on June 20. When asked by a West Virginia Watch reporter if state employees will still get West Virginia Day off, Galang wrote in an email, “Juneteenth is not a state holiday. West Virginia Day is a state holiday. Therefore, state employees will have West Virginia Day off.”

Now governor, I know you’re not from here, so you might not know that West Virginia became a state after it separated from Virginia because West Virginia wanted slavery to end and Virginia did not. On June 20, 1863, West Virginia joined the Union. We were not part of the Confederacy, despite all the flags some people here like to fly. 

If any state should be celebrating the end of slavery, West Virginia sure should be. 

There’s already been precedent set that Juneteenth was celebrated as a state holiday. Why take it away now after celebrating for four years? It sounds like you don’t want to give state employees a four-day weekend.

No excuse has been given, other than the reasoning for the state not sponsoring any formal activities — the “continued fiscal challenges.”

If money is that tight, perhaps the Legislature should have done something to fix the Public Employees Insurance Agency during the regular session instead of planning to spend thousands on a special session in July. 

In April, Morrisey proclaimed Good Friday as a half day holiday for state employees.

“Good Friday is a day of reflection and prayer, and I am encouraging West Virginians to take time to be with their family and church community,” Morrisey said in a statement.

Shouldn’t West Virginians also have time to be with their families and church communities on Juneteenth? 

West Virginia has 12 official state holidays, including the day after Thanksgiving, which is Lincoln’s Day. State code also states that legal holidays, include “Any day proclaimed or ordered by the Governor or the President of the United States as a day of special observance or Thanksgiving, or a day for the general cessation of business, is a holiday.” 

I’m trying to think of an actual legitimate reason why the governor may not want to have the state recognize the holiday, but I don’t know why I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. It comes off as racist because, well, it is. 

Juneteenth was treated like an official state holiday for four years, and now that we have a governor who doesn’t think diversity or inclusion is important, it’s no longer treated as such. It’s disappointing to have a governor who doesn’t put any thought or consideration into Black West Virginians’ lives.