Morris Schools Closed Monday In Honor Of Juneteenth

Morristown NJ

14 June, 2022

2:28 PM

Description

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Public schools in the Morris School District will be closed on Monday, June 20 to mark Juneteenth. Juneteenth is a newly established federal holiday commemorating the abolition of slavery in the United States. A number of states, including New Jersey, observe it as a state holiday. Some school districts in New Jersey will observe the holiday on Friday, while others will observe it on Monday. Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation adding Juneteenth to the list of state holidays on September 10, 2020. The holiday will be observed on the fourth Monday of June, as determined by the school district. "Commemorating this date is just one component of our collective approach to end a generational cycle of pain and injustice that has gone on for far too long. Every Juneteenth, we will celebrate the end of the physical chains which once held Black Americans down," Murphy said Last year, President Joe Biden signed a bill recognizing Juneteenth as a federal holiday. "June 19th, 1865 a major general of the Union Army arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and free the last enslaved Americans in Texas from bondage," Biden explained. "While more work lies ahead to undo the oppression that remains, Juneteenth is an important marker that reminds us of our mission to create a society that enables our Black communities to achieve the full equality which they deserve," Murphy said. "We want everyone to remember that Juneteenth is part of the history of all Americans. Hopefully, through this law, as well as deeper education and a more honest review of our nation's history, more New Jerseyans can realize the significance of Juneteenth and understand the systemic issues that have continued to plague our country since that day in 1865," Senator Sandra Cunningham said. The school calendar for the district can be found here.