LA City Employees Will Now Have Juneteenth Off As A Paid Holiday

The Los Angeles City Council has signed off on making Juneteenth a paid holiday for city employees.

The process started nearly two years ago, when the council voted to start the official process to recognize the holiday, which commemorates the effective end of slavery in the U.S.

Councilmember Curren Price co-authored the motion, which coincided with widespread demonstrations for racial justice in the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black Americans.

"The recognition of Juneteenth from the federal government, and now, with the second largest city in the U.S., signals a changing tide, one that's long overdue in the name of equity, racial justice, and dignity," said Price.

President Joe Biden last year signed a bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

California has designated Juneteenth as a "day of observance" since 2004, however state employees do not have a paid day off.

A bill making its way in Sacramento would change that, though civil service employees would have to use it as a "personal holiday."