Comptroller’s Office recognizes Juneteenth holiday with half-day off for employees

(ST. LOUIS—June 18, 2020) Comptroller Darlene Green today announced that the City of St. Louis Comptroller’s Office will recognize June 19, 2020, known as Juneteenth, by closing at 1:00 pm.

“Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery, and it is an opportunity for all to recognize that struggle, celebrate what we have achieved and reflect on the work that needs to be done,” said Comptroller Green.

“I am heartened that people in St. Louis and around the world are calling for greater equity in their communities,” said Comptroller Green. “From big cities to small towns a diverse coalition of more and more Americans are becoming involved, embracing the Black Lives Matter movement, and committing to making our country more equal and just.”

Also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. Although President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in September 1862, it was not until June 19, 1865, that federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the order—finally ending slavery in all U.S. states and territories.

Having not seceded from the Union during the Civil War, the state of Missouri was exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation. A Missouri state convention abolished slavery in the state in January 1865. The 13^th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolishing slavery was also ratified in 1865.

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Comptroller Darlene Green is the chief fiscal officer of the City of St. Louis and is charged with safeguarding the city’s credit rating and with protecting taxpayer dollars. She is the recipient of the 2019 Women in Public Finance Lifetime Achievement award. Visit www.stlouis-mo.gov/comptroller to learn more about the Office of the Comptroller.