PIERRE, S.D.(Press Release) – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced a holiday for state workers on Friday, June 18, 2021, in honor of Juneteenth. This is in response to the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act”, which was signed today by President Joseph R. Biden.

“‘All men are created equal.’ That is America’s foundational ideal,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Juneteenth celebrates an important day when we came closer to making that ideal a reality for all Americans, regardless of race. I hope state employees take the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful South Dakota weather on their day off.”

Juneteenth is celebrated every year on June 19. Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger announced freedom from slavery in Galveston, Texas following President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Governor Noem had previously proclaimed Saturday, June 19, 2021, as “Juneteenth Day” in South Dakota.