SALT LAKE CITY — Gov. Spencer Cox issued a proclamation Thursday commemorating June 19 as Juneteenth in Utah.
The proclamation came on the same day President Joe Biden signed a bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Cox's proclamation says Utah has much more work to do to ensure racial equality for all, and specifically pointed to a compact the state has entered into in support of equity and inclusion.
Juneteenth dates back to June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston. The order let the slaves of Texas know they were free, in accordance with the Emancipation Proclamation.
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In 2016, Gov. Gary Herbert signed a bill into law recognizing the third Saturday in the month as Juneteenth Freedom Day, an annual state commemorative holiday.
