Juneteenth is rapidly approaching, this is Utah’s first year officially celebrating the new holiday. On Thursday, March 21, Gov. Spencer Cox signed into law Juneteenth as an official state holiday.

Rep. Sandra Hollins of Utah’s state legislative branch helped pass this law, although she claims she cannot take all the credit as this idea was proposed to her by Ms. Betty Sawyer.

“A couple of years ago, she came to me and wanted to run a resolution around making Juneteenth a commemorative holiday in the state of Utah,” Hollins said.

Juneteenth honors the freedom of enslaved African Americans. The holiday started in Texas, upon the announcement of the Civil War ending in 1865, when slaves were declared their freedom according to the Emancipation Proclamation. The holiday is also observed to celebrate African American culture.

“Storytelling has always been a part of our culture, I want that to continue. I’m hoping people also in their celebration use this as a time to pass on the oral history about their families and the contributions they have made in this state and in this nation,” Hollins said.

Several states have officially made Juneteenth a celebrated holiday and some honor this day as one of observance. Hollins explains her journey alongside Sawyer to make Utah celebrate Juneteenth as an official holiday.

“A couple of years ago, she came to me and wanted to run a resolution around making Juneteenth a commemorative holiday in the state of Utah. Betty Sawyer had been working on this for years and years and years,” Hollins said. “She and her committee and all the people who surround her have done a lot of the work, a lot of the heavy lifting to make this holiday possible. So when President Biden passed it into federal law, it was an honor to look at Utah and get that law written and pass it as a state holiday.”

Many events will take place all across the state this coming weekend, including around the Ogden community. There will be flag raising ceremonies, street festivals, barber battles, gospel concerts and so much more.

All who participate and celebrate this holiday have an opportunity to learn and understand the importance of African American history.