Pharrell Joins Virginia Governor to Declare Juneteenth an Official State Holiday

The popular artist and Virginia Beach native has been at the forefront of proposing Juneteenth, the day which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, as a national holiday.

“Juneteenth deserves the same level of recognition and celebration,” said Pharrell. “July 4, 1776, not everybody was free and celebrating their Independence Day. So here’s our day. And if you love us, it will be your day too.”“It’s time we elevate this,” said Northam,” not just a celebration by and for some Virginians, but one acknowledged and celebrated by all of us.”

Although the holiday, which is this Friday, will be for executive branch employees, Northam said he would stand by legislation to make it an official legal holiday that would apply to schools, courts and local governments. This marks the governor’s latest move in reckoning with the history of Virginia as a Confederate State. Back in April, Northam signed a bill into law that removed the Lee-Jackson Day holiday, which honored Confederate Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, and opted in favor of making Election Day a holiday. He also announced he would be removing the Confederate monument honoring Robert E. Lee, but the effort has since been temporarily blocked by a lawsuit.

The announcement comes after nationwide protests have continued to take place against racial injustices seen across the United States. The death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed on memorial day while in Minneapolis police custody after an officer kneeled on his neck for nearly nine minutes, is what initially sparked the protests that now have the public demanding police and criminal justice reform.

Pharrell Making ML King’s birthday a holiday solved nothing, neither will this. It’s akin to rearranging the deck chairs

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Virginia governor to propose Juneteenth as state holidayVirginia Governor Ralph Northam says he will propose making Juneteenth an official holiday in a state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy. Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. it's also a state that is home to a governor who did black face GOOD, Racism has NO place in any civilized society So many petty tokens Proposals Token ordinances We don't need any more tokens We need new legislators New ways of legislating
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Virginia governor to propose Juneteenth as state holidayGov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that he'll propose making Juneteenth an official holiday in a state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy See absolutely no reason that it’s not already a holiday. Doing so much for the black community here.
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Music Companies to Observe Juneteenth HolidayWarner, Sony, Spotify and more music companies are recognizing Juneteenth — a holiday celebrated annually on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. — as a company holiday. To whom loves me be free, the love i give its never meant to feel like a prison so be free and i love you too Stream lost
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Citi asks US staff to take a day off to commemorate end of slavery‘Juneteenth’ — 19 June — commemorates the emancipation of slaves in Texas, the last state to enforce Lincoln’s earlier proclamation Does anyone else see the irony here.? Corporate plantation owners suggest their economic slaves take the day off to celebrate emancipation.
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Alicia Keys, John Legend to face off on Juneteenth in lockdown-inspired piano battleAlicia Keys and John Legend will battle it out on the piano for a special edition Verzuz Instagram competition on Juneteenth. Good Luck Alicia bye John! Lol I love johnlegend but sorry I’ve gotta go with aliciakeys on this one. 💕 They are doing this on a sacred holiday
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