NEWS RELEASE: In a special call meeting today, Lynchburg City Council voted to close all Lynchburg Municipal Offices on Friday, June 19, 2020 in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. This is the first time in history that the City of Lynchburg will celebrate the Juneteenth holiday by closing City offices and giving employees a paid day off.
Juneteenth is short for June Nineteenth and marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people be freed. The troops’ arrival came a full two and one half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Juneteenth marks an effective end to slavery in the United States and is considered the longest-running African American holiday.
On June 16, Governor Ralph Northam announced that he would be supporting legislation to make June 19 an official paid state holiday.
“I appreciate the City Manager for bringing this to City Council,” said Mayor Tweedy. “I believe it is important for our employees and our community that we recognize such a pivotal moment in our Nation’s history.”
The Concord Turnpike Convenience Center will be open following its normal schedule, Tuesday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.