Governor Noem Announces Holiday for State Workers on Friday to Honor Juneteenth

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Governor Noem Announces Holiday for State Workers on Friday to Honor Juneteenth

PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced a holiday for state workers on Friday, June 18, 2021, in honor of Juneteenth. This is in response to the “Juneteenth National Independence Day Act”, which was signed today by President Joseph R. Biden.

“‘All men are created equal.’ That is America’s foundational ideal,” said Governor Kristi Noem. “Juneteenth celebrates an important day when we came closer to making that ideal a reality for all Americans, regardless of race. I hope state employees take the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful South Dakota weather on their day off.”

Juneteenth is celebrated every year on June 19. Juneteenth commemorates the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger announced freedom from slavery in Galveston, Texas following President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

Governor Noem had previously proclaimed Saturday, June 19, 2021, as “Juneteenth Day” in South Dakota.

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11 thoughts on “Governor Noem Announces Holiday for State Workers on Friday to Honor Juneteenth”

  2. When Republicans forced Democrats to free their slaves, that was indeed a great day!

  3. Hooray! Another paid holiday for state and federal workers. BS . The people who make the wheels of industry turn will be at work as usual . The various government agencies will hire more workers to make up for another non-working day. Then they will have to have more tax money from the people who have to shoulder the hard work.

    1. But if this is going to be a holiday every year then the point of LCJ is certainly valid. There are 365 days in a year, so if you keep adding paid holidays it means fewer days that the employee actually has to work; it’s similar to the constant push to increase the tip percentage at a restaurant: I have 100% of the bill for my meal, and then that keeps going up, so why do I need to pay an ever-increasing percentage of that meal cost?

      I am not saying this isn’t worthy of a holiday, but then perhaps we need to cut out another holiday.

    1. Have the people of color in our state been consulted about this feel good legislation? I know some here feel it is unnecessary to call attention to race of people. In doing so in the spirit of uniting, it creates a feeling of division. All people who are citizens of our state are South Dakotans and Americans; they do not need a special day to tell them so.

  7. I predict more people will visit Mt Rushmore on Juneteenth than on Presidents’ Day.
    An extra 3 day weekend in the summer will be good for South Dakota tourism.
    We can scratch Presidents’ Day or MLK day off the calendar as a trade off; nobody wants to visit us in January or February. Those midwinter holidays are a bust..

  8. I guess if a day off in summer moves the ball on better race relations I’m all for it.

    But, put me in the skeptical camp. Its just giving government employees a paid day off with the bonus of virtue signaling.

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