Juneteenth should be a paid holiday in Wisconsin

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free by executive decree, liberating Black people from the bonds, abuse, and degradation of slavery. Wisconsin first recognized Juneteenth in 2009, and all states have established a formal recognition or observance of the holiday. 

In June of 2021, with President Biden’s pen stroke, federal workers have a paid day off, stock markets and banks are closed, and there is no mail delivery. According to a report from the Pew Research Center, 14 states observed Juneteenth as a paid holiday in 2021, bringing the total number of states to recognize Juneteenth as a paid public holiday to 24. However, Wisconsin is one of the dozens of states where Juneteenth is not an official public holiday, and where it’s not a paid holiday on the state level.

Employees are encouraged to make it “a day on, not a day off,” to volunteer, attend celebrations and shop at Black-owned businesses. They are also encouraged to advance their knowledge of systemic racism and celebrate African diversity, culture, history and contributions. 

The African American community certainly deserves recognition, and we as a nation and city should celebrate the freedom of our  Black residents and the knowledge and history that some are trying to bury or rewrite. As important as remembering who discovered America, Juneteenth is a time to gather as a community, reflect on the past and look to the future. It is also vital to recognize that “none of us are truly free until we are all free,” said Reuben Sanon, Madison Deputy Mayor at the 2021 Official Juneteenth City Holiday Enactment.

While the City of Milwaukee’s Juneteenth celebration is beautifully loud and colorful, we are not loud enough. Our silence should not cease until we have an official paid holiday. As we show our rich history of survival as a people, we must keep in mind that our struggle has never ceased. We as a people continue to be plagued with the stench of racism. We are not enslaved in the traditional form, however, racism has reared its ugly head in various ways: creating roadblocks to our schooling, access to jobs, and even the simple right to buy a home or vehicle. Alongside our celebrations and growing knowledge, our advocacy should continue to grow louder until Juneteenth is acknowledged in Wisconsin as a paid holiday.