Mayor Sarno stated, “Representative Bud Williams and I are proud and honored to co-host the city of Springfield’s annual Juneteenth celebration with a special flag raising ceremony here at City Hall. Following the flag raising we’ll join with our iconic Springfield Symphony Orchestra at Symphony Hall for a unique and powerful performance to celebrate this historic event. It is important for us to recognize this significant part of our nation’s history. My administration has always supported this important occasion and I was proud to approve and support adding Juneteenth as an official paid holiday for the city of Springfield.”
Governor Charlie Baker approved the Juneteenth holiday across the state in 2020, which was championed and sponsored by Representative Williams. President Joseph Biden signed into law a bill establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday on June 17th, 2021. The new Juneteenth holiday, which is observed annually on June 19th, marks the anniversary date of June 19, 1865, when Union Army General Gordon Granger announced General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, news of the Emancipation Proclamation to the residents of Texas and freed all remaining enslaved people in the state.