Juneteenth Day becomes official holiday in city of Milwaukee

 

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- You can mark it on your calendar next year. Juneteenth Day is now an official holiday in the city of Milwaukee.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden recognized Juneteenth as a federal holiday, the first one since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983. 

On Monday, Sept. 26, Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson signed a Common Council file making Juneteenth Day -- that's June 19 -- a city holiday honoring the end of slavery.

"It's a time to be thoughtful, not just about the past, but also about the future," Mayor Johnson said. 

Under this new ordinance, city offices will be closed each year on June 19 and employees will receive a paid day off.