(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that the State of Connecticut will observe Juneteenth Independence Day as a legal state holiday for the first time in the state’s history on Monday, June 19, 2023. Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. While the Emancipation Proclamation became effective on January 1, 1863, the news took time to make its way around the country. As such, it was not until June 19, 1865, when the Union army brought word of the proclamation to enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, making them among the last to be freed. “For far too long, Juneteenth and the end…
Read More