Mayor Peduto declares Juneteenth official holiday in Pittsburgh

Mayor Bill Peduto said Saturday that Juneteenth will be an official holiday in Pittsburgh.

Peduto said that starting June 19, 2021, the city will honor the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States.

Peduto made the announcement at the Black Voting Rights Forum at St. Benedict the Moor Church in the Lower Hill District. The forum marked the 150th anniversary of Black men being allowed to vote and the 100th anniversary of Black woman gaining the same rights.

“Juneteenth reminds us of the rich history of Black Pittsburgh and celebrates those who worked hard so that Black people’s voices could be heard through voting,” Peduto said.

“Throughout history, many have tried to silence Black voices. We have arrived in a critical time where they are finally getting the attention that they deserve — and they are being heard,” the mayor said. “Many of us, particularly privileged white men, have not always listened as much as we should have. The time is now to make that change permanent, and formally set aside this holiday to celebrate Black voices.”

Juneteenth, celebrated annually on June 19, recognizes the day in 1865 that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and spread news that the . Civil War ended and slaves had been freed.

That news came two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln became law.

Peduto’s announcement comes two months after Pittsburgh Council President Theresa Kail-Smith sent a formal request to the mayor to have Juneteenth declared a city holiday.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf in June declared Juneteenth a state holiday.