PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 16, 2022
TOWN OF GROTON – JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY CELEBRATION
Juneteenth is recognized each year on June 19. On that day in 1865, Major General Gordon Granger and his Union troops landed in Galveston, TX and announced that the Civil War had ended. Major General Gordon read a proclamation declaring that all enslaved people were free. The first Juneteenth was celebrated a year later in Texas and today is recognized across the country to mark this important milestone.
In 2020, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts enacted M.G.L. Chapter 6, Section 15BBBBB, which states that “the governor shall annually issue a proclamation setting apart the nineteenth of June as Juneteenth Independence Day, to be observed on the Sunday that is closest to June 19th of each year, in recognition of June 19, 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger announced freedom for all slaves in the Southwestern United States and in recognition of the end of slavery in the United States as well as the significant contributions individuals of African descent have made to the Commonwealth and to the United States and recommending that said day be observed in an appropriate manner by the people.”
The Select Board of the Town of Groton recognizes this very important Holiday, and to that end, pursuant to State Law (since June 19, 2022 falls on a Sunday), all Town of Groton Municipal Buildings, including the Town Hall, Library, Center in West Groton and DPW Building will be closed on Monday, June 20, 2022 in recognition of this day. All Town employees will receive Holiday pay for this day.
The Select Board urges all Citizens of Groton to celebrate and reflect on the importance of this day in American History.
Sincerely,
Mark W. Haddad
Town Manager
