DENVER (KDVR) — Juneteenth could officially become a holiday in the state of Colorado.
Juneteenth recognizes the arrival of Union Soldiers in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865, to free the slaves that were still being held there two years after the emancipation proclamation.
Last year, Juneteenth was recognized as a national holiday. It is the first new holiday for the country since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was recognized in 1983.
“I think it’s time to reflect on what liberation really means, what freedom really means, and how it’s not easily accessible to everyone just because we have that word in our constitution or in our books,” said Chair of the Black Democratic Legislative Caucus of Colorado Leslie Herod. “We actually have to fight for our freedom.”
You can watch the news conference on FOX31 NOW.