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Senate and State of New York Recognize Juneteenth as Official Holiday
June 19, 2020
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ISSUE:
- Juneteenth
![Juneteeth graphic](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/article/main-image/juneteenth_graphic_1500x600_1_0.jpg?itok=-0XNQItn)
The Senate joined Governor Andrew Cuomo in recognizing Juneteeth as an official holiday, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. The day has been celebrated on June 19th by African-Americans and others since the late Nineteeth Century. The date originated on June 19, 1865, when enslaved African-Americans in Galveston, Texas, heard the news that they were free.
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![Adi TalwarAt left: Queens State Sen. Leroy Comrie speaking against basement apartment legalization at a rally in Kew Gardens last week. The same day, fellow Queens lawmakers, including Assemblymember Steven Raga (pictured, at right) attended an event in Jackson Heights arguing in favor.](/sites/default/files/styles/760x377/public/in-the-news/main-image/base.jpg?itok=OQN7iArl)