New Jersey Gov. Murphy Signs Legislation Designating Juneteenth A State, Public Holiday
TRENTON, N.J. (CBS) -- New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation on Thursday making Juneteenth a state and public holiday. The holiday commemorates the ending of slavery in America.
The legislation designates the third Friday in June as a state and public holiday.
"It gives me great pride to celebrate emancipation and New Jersey's great diversity by designating Juneteenth as an official State holiday." Murphy said. "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. While more work lies ahead to undo the oppression that remains, Juneteenth is 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."
New Jersey was recently named the fourth-most diverse state in the country, according to WalletHub.