This past Saturday, our community spent some time celebrating Juneteenth. It all started with a small, but spirited parade marching from the First United Methodist Church downtown to McKaig-Race Park, where a festival-like atmosphere waited to entertain and educate the community. The fairly new event has been held on the Saturday before Juneteenth, which is traditionally June 19th. This year, June 19th is on a Wednesday. During Saturday’s event, more than a few people came up to ask, “Why isn’t Juneteenth a city holiday?”
These questions weren’t necessarily coming out of the blue. The State of Ohio has recognized Juneteenth as a holiday, as well as Miami County. Furthermore, employees of the City of Piqua and the City of Tipp City recognize Juneteenth as well as a day off work for municipal employees. In fact, during the Juneteenth celebration, I learned that employees of Hobart Brothers have the holiday off, though they will take June 17th off, rather than the 19th, making it a three-day weekend. Research indicates that the City of Troy is an outlier by not recognizing the holiday.
The History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth, short for "June Nineteenth," commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Its origins date back to June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the emancipation of all enslaved people in the state. This declaration came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, which had legally freed slaves in Confederate states. However, the enforcement of the proclamation relied on Union military victories.
Over time, Juneteenth evolved into a symbol of African American freedom and a day of cultural celebration. Nationally, the day includes events such as parades, festivals, and educational activities. Efforts to make Juneteenth a national holiday gained momentum in the 21st century, with growing recognition of its historical significance and cultural impact.
How Holidays Are Made - A Lesson in Federalism
On June 17, 2021, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law, officially making Juneteenth the 11th federal holiday. This milestone marked a significant step in recognizing the importance of the long fight for freedom and equality in American history.
However, just because the federal government creates a holiday, it doesn’t necessarily mean that states and local governments have to fall in line. For example, while Martin Luther King, Jr. day was established as a federal holiday in 1983, it wasn’t until after a state-wide vote in 1992, that the holiday was recognized in Arizona.
Holidays in Troy are set forth in two separate sections of the City’s Code of Ordinances, Section 101.09 and Section 104.16. Section 101.09, passed in 1985, shows that there are 11 holidays in Troy: New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King Day, Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, The day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the employee’s birthday. Section 104.16, passed in 2012, recognized all the days mentioned above except for the employee’s birthday.
It’s important to note that the Code of Ordinances are best described as the permanent laws the city operates under. They dictate nearly every facet of what the city does, from water and sewer rates, to the zoning code, to well, holidays. The code tends to be updated quite a bit; ordinances that are adopted by City Council, as part of their general business, either add, eliminate or change the code of ordinances quite frequently.
What Can Be Done Here?
Traditionally, ordinances brought forward for discussion by the council come from the city administration. Since Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday in 2021, the administration has never brought forward an ordinance adding the holiday to the city code. In order to change the Code of Ordinances, all that needs to be done is that either city administration or even an individual member of council needs to draft an ordinance to be brought in front of council to simply add Juneteenth to Section 101.09 and Section 104.16 to the City’s Code of Ordinances. Until that is done, Juneteenth will not be recognized as city holiday.
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