South Dakota is the only state in the nation that does not recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday.
A bill to recognize and observe Juneteenth as a holiday has been approved by the South Dakota Senate, passing on a vote of 23 to 11.
June 19th marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that the Emancipation Proclamation had been signed two years earlier by President Abraham Lincoln. June 19th then became an annual celebration by Black Americans called Juneteenth.
Yankton County officials are waiting on the bill to decide if they will recognize the holiday locally. Yankton County Veteran Service Officer Cody Mangold hopes the county will recognize the holiday…
The Yankton County Commissioners will monitor what the state does with the bill and will revisit the topic at a later date.
Having passed the Senate, the bill will now go to the House for approval.
