South Dakota last Juneteenth holdout as Hawaii close to recognizing day [View all]

HONOLULU — Hawaii was poised to become the 49th state to recognize Juneteenth after the House and Senate on Tuesday passed legislation designating June 19 as a day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.

If Hawaii’s governor signs the bill, South Dakota would be the only remaining state that doesn’t recognize the day as either a state holiday or a day of observance. South Dakota’s Senate passed a measure earlier this year that would observe the day, but the bill didn’t make it through the House. In North Dakota, the governor on April 12 signed legislation designating it a ceremonial holiday.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige hasn’t indicated his plans for the bill, which will not make the day a state holiday.

Akiemi Glenn, the founder and executive director of the Popolo Project, said the legislation is a way of honoring the ancestors of Hawaii’s Black people.

Read more: https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/politics/2021/04/28/juneteenth-hawaii-close-honoring-day-leaving-south-dakota-holdout/4876128001/