Detroit Evening Report: Juneteenth is now an official state holiday in Michigan
Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” podcast.
Shayla Tyler (left) and Allimatou Coleman perform a traditional West African dance during the Wayne State University Juneteenth kickoff event, on June 13, 2022, at Wayne State University, in Detroit.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed bipartisan legislation declaring Juneteenth a state holiday in Michigan.
Subscribe to the Detroit Evening Report on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
Senate Bill 50, sponsored by State Sen. Sylvia Santana (D-Warrendale) and State Rep. Helena Scott (D-Detroit), will highlight Black history and culture, commemorate the end of slavery in America and celebrate fundamental values of freedom, liberty, and equality.
“On Juneteenth, we come together to celebrate fundamental American values of freedom and equality, embodied by the stories and legacies of the Black community,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Juneteenth is a moment of celebration and reflection, but it is also an opportunity to recommit ourselves to action.”
Juneteenth commemorates the date of June 19, 1865, when the Union Army officially informed the last of the enslaved peoples in Texas they were free.
Other headlines for July 12, 2023:
- Michigan sets aside $8 million to support and improve fetal medicine
- Clothing store Hot Sam’s Detroit, DDP hosting Black Wall Street event at Campus Martius
- City of Detroit hosted summer youth jobs program
Do you have a community story we should tell? Let us know in an email at detroiteveningreport@wdet.org.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
