Move afoot in Massachusetts to make Juneteenth a state holiday

Juneteenth might become Massachusetts’ newest state holiday.

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers informed enslaved black people in Galveston, Texas, that the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation had made them free under law. The proclamation was signed in 1862, but news did not reach Texas until 1865. June 19, or Juneteenth, has since become a day of celebration, particularly in black communities.

A group of seven Massachusetts lawmakers Wednesday introduced “An Act to make Juneteenth Independence Day a State Holiday.” That group includes state Reps. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst, Maria Robinson, D-Framingham, Chynah Tyler, D-Boston, and Bud Williams, D-Springfield, as well as state Sens. Sonia Chang-Diaz, D-Boston, Joanne Comerford, D-Northampton, and Brendan Crighton, D-Lynn.

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