Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S. on June 19, 1865, is now a paid holiday in Santa Clara County.
The Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to make the day the county’s 13th paid holiday, according to the board’s summary of proceedings from its Sept. 22 meeting.
Jahmal Williams, director of advocacy for racial justice at San Jose State, said over Zoom that this is the first step in the right direction for a more focused recognition of the Black community.
“While this is a great gesture and we are thankful this is coming about, we have to continue to hold the Board of Supervisors accountable to do more to recognize the many years of neglect and racism that Black people have had to face,” he said.
Williams explained that the recognition of Juneteenth should not only be significant for the Black community, but should be more widely recognized across the country.
“People see the Fourth of July as an American holiday and for the longest Juneteenth was just seen as the Black holiday,” he said. “But Juneteenth has to be understood and recognized as an American holiday, as a point in American history that deserves to be recognized by all people.”
Williams said he hopes the county does not take a back seat to organizing for the holiday because of the efforts of the community service agency.
Williams said he hopes that the county won’t completely lean on small Black organizations for the planning and take serious time to honor the slaves that fought to be freed.
“There's a lot the county can do around this holiday and you have to start somewhere,” Williams said. “I hope they just don't treat it as a day off.”
Santa Clara is the first county in California to declare Juneteenth a paid holiday, contrasting other states like Texas that have recognized the holiday for decades. June 19, 1865 is the date Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army landed in Galveston, Texas and informed peoplethat the Civil War had ended and the abolishment of slavery would now be enforced
Akilah Carter-Francique, a professor of African-American Studies at SJSU and a former Texas resident said over Zoom that the holiday is widely celebrated in Texas and has been recognized since 1980.
“[Juneteenth is] a day when we can all come together . . . with memories and be able to celebrate just being Black people,” Carter-Francique said. “I've seen Black folks coming together, but also those who are not Black, to learn, understand and celebrate with us.”
Santa Clara County plans to partner with the African American Community Services Agency for the annual Juneteenth celebration that the group has held for the past 39 years in San Jose.
This celebration is attended by many members and supporters of the Black community in San Jose.
According to the African American Community Service Agency's website, the annual event is held at Plaza de Cesar Chavez Park and averages over 6,000 attendees each year.
With a variety of food, artwork, retailers, community services and local businesses, the community service agency uses the celebration as an opportunity to educate the community on a diverse range of topics, including health and finances.
Armani Donahue, the program coordinator for the African American/Black Student Success Center said over Zoom that she celebrates the holiday with the community services agency.
“Once I got to college age, I started to learn more about Juneteenth and the significance just by attending the agency’s yearly gathering,” she said.
Donahue also explained that the holiday should be recognized not just at the county level, but also at the federal level.
“Our Black experience shouldn't just be categorized to a specific month or a specific day,” she said.
