Mayor Eric Garcetti was joined by Councilman Curren Price on June 6 to sign a proclamation making Juneteenth an official city holiday.

“While we can’t dislodge structural racism overnight, it’s our responsibility as a city to acknowledge hard truths and advance reforms, and by declaring Juneteenth an official holiday, we’re making it clear that the ending of slavery should be remembered as a watershed moment in American history,” Garcetti said.

Following the proclamation signed by the mayor on June 6, the City Council is scheduled to issue a supporting resolution. Juneteenth will be recognized as a city holiday on June 19 each year. Should June 19 fall on a Saturday, the holiday will be observed on the preceding Friday, and if it falls on a Sunday, it will be observed on the following Monday. This year, the holiday will be recognized on Monday, June 20.

Juneteenth is commemorated on the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger issued an order proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas, which was the last state of the Confederacy to legalize slavery. President Joe Biden has signed legislation designating June 19 as a federal holiday.