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By Heart of Illinois ABC
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington is a step closer to declaring Juneteenth a city holiday.
At a committee-of-the-whole meeting Monday night, the city council enthusiastically backed Council member Mboka Mwilambwe’s initiative to celebrate each June 19 to mark the end of slavery in the U.S. in 1865.
The matter will be placed on a future city council agenda.
According to Mwilambwe, many Americans don’t know what Juneteenth stands for. He said it took George Floyd’s death “in front of the whole world” and COVID-19 for people to focus on injustice and inequality facing African-Americans.
“If we’re going to live, work, and play together in this community, I think it’s important that we understand what matters to each other,” said Mwilambwe.
Council members Donna Boelen and Joni Painter each said a Juneteenth city holiday is “a great idea. Council member Julie Emig said Mwilambwe’s proposal is “timely” and “well-presented.”
Council member Jenn Carrillo said she likes the idea, and noted she plans on submitting to the council an initiative to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day.
Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected].