Juneteenth Is One Step Closer To Being State Holiday In Colorado

DENVER (CBS4)- Colorado lawmakers are another step closer to making Juneteenth a state holiday, and Gov. Jared Polis is backing the bill. He joined the bill's sponsors and other supporters at the state Capitol on Wednesday morning.

"By adopting Juneteenth as a state holiday, we're paying tribute to the millions of Black Americans who endured indescribable suffering under the horrors of slavery," Polis said. "On Juneteenth, we will honor the rich history of the African American community here in Colorado, but also across the country."

The bill (SB22-139) would make Juneteenth, June 19, Colorado's 11th state holiday. It was introduced last month by state Sen.s Janet Buckner and James Coleman as well as state Rep. Leslie Herod, chair of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus.

"A lot of Black folks emancipated to Colorado," Herod said. "People don't know the legacy of emancipation that Colorado really has. We have a rich history and I'm excited that we're going to be able to celebrate this year."

Coloradans have long celebrated Juneteenth, in large part thanks to Norman Harris. He's president of the Juneteenth Musical Festival which he helped launch 13 years ago in Denver's Five Points neighborhood.

"The only thing we really wanted to do was assure that our community that was being displaced out of Five Points had a place to come back," Harris said of starting the festival. "That Juneteenth served as a cultural anchor for our people in Denver, Colorado."

Now, the festival is the largest Juneteenth celebration in not just Colorado but across the country.

"If you would've told me that I'd be standing on the steps of the capitol with leaders that I look up to…and that Juneteenth would become a state holiday, that Juneteenth would be a nationally recognized holiday," Harris said, "that is my dream."

With President Joe Biden's signature, Juneteenth became a federal holiday last year. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when thousands of slaves in Texas finally became aware they were emancipated. It came two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and is considered the day slavery actually ended in the United States.

"It took over two years for slaves across the country to learn about their freedom," Sen. Buckner said. "So, in many ways, Juneteenth represents how freedom and justice in the United States have always been delayed for Black people."

While it has federal recognition, Harris believes it's perhaps even more important for Juneteenth to be recognized at the state level.

"It really starts opening up the door for us to start looking at curriculums and what people are actually doing on that day off," Harris told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann. "This is a huge step for people's broader understanding of our history."

The law is not signed yet, but sponsors are confident Juneteenth will be a state holiday this year. Harris said it's an important day for everyone to celebrate and take time to reflect.

"Slavery and the impacts of systemic racism have impacted all communities, not just African American communities," he said. "Actually celebrating it as a holiday is one of the first big steps [we can take] and just start to reflect, and that's a very important step."

The bill will first head to the Senate on March 15, and Polis is expected to sign it once it reaches his desk.