PHOENIX — Editor's Note: The above video is from an earlier broadcast.
The Phoenix City Council has designated June 19 as an official city holiday in recognition of Juneteenth Day.
In a unanimous vote, the council approved Wednesday a resolution that formally acknowledges the celebration of Juneteenth Day, a holiday commemorating the day in 1865 when enslaved individuals in Texas were informed the Civil War had ended and they were free.
"Juneteenth Day is a holiday to celebrate freedom and to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States," the city's resolution states.
President Joe Biden designated June 19 as a federal holiday last year, allowing federal workers to take the day off.
Phoenix's action will designate Juneteenth Day as a city holiday, meaning municipal offices will close each June 19.
Many members of the public spoke in favor of celebrating Juneteenth Day as a city holiday in Phoenix.
Councilwoman Yassamin Ansari said adopting the resolution will send a message to the community that Phoenix is not afraid of shying away from the country's past.
"This is such a historic day for Phoenix," Ansari said during Wednesday's meeting.
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