Salina, Kansas Juneteenth Celebration Committee

TOPEKA — Kansas will join 28 other states in recognizing Juneteenth as a state holiday, government officials announced Tuesday.

The holiday will be a paid day off for state employees in Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration. Kelly said the move was meant to recognize the state’s diversity and honor the nation’s history. 

“Juneteenth marks a significant point in our nation’s history and has long been celebrated in Kansas and across the United States,” Kelly said. “Establishing Juneteenth as a state holiday provides Kansans an opportunity to celebrate our state’s diversity and honor the ongoing struggles for racial equality.” 

Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, celebrates June 19 of 1865, when the last enslaved Americans received word that President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation. While Lincoln had issued the proclamation more than two years earlier, the news was received in different states at different times. 

Juneteenth has been celebrated across the country for years, but the day wasn’t federally recognized until 2021, when President Joe Biden’s administration added it to the government holiday calendar.

Juneteenth is the first new federal holiday created in more than four decades. Since the federal move, many states have adopted the holiday, including Nebraska, Missouri and Colorado. 

“I am thrilled that Juneteenth will be a state holiday,” said Stacey Knoell, Executive Director of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission. “This day is a perfect example of the importance of learning the full picture of history, not to cast blame but to find reasons for acknowledging resilience.”

The Salina Juneteenth Celebration Committee was formed in March of 2007 under the leadership of Jackie L. Anders. A committee was established and the first celebration took place on June 16-17, 2007. The Proclamation from the City of Salina was issued on June 11, 2007.

The committee continues to organize celebrations to promote African American culture and history for the community of Salina.
                                                                   

Mission Statement:
The purpose of the Juneteenth Celebration is to promote the elimination of racism and cultivate knowledge and appreciation of African American history and culture.