The Napa County Board of Supervisors has unanimously decided to declare Juneteenth an official holiday starting this year.

Juneteenth commemorates the day that enslaved Black people in Texas finally learned of their emancipation, June 19, 1865.

“We are sending a clear message that Napa County understands and values the meaning of Juneteenth,” said Ryan Gregory, chair of the Board of Supervisors. “We hope that elevating this holiday for employees will allow those who are not familiar with it to learn more about Juneteenth and celebrate the significance of freedom for all.”

This year, Juneteenth falls on a Sunday, so Monday, June 20, will be its day of observance.

Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday last year.

Katy St. Clair got her start in journalism by working in the classifieds department at the East Bay Express during the height of alt weeklies, then sweet talked her way into becoming staff writer, submissions editor, and music editor. She has been a columnist in the East Bay Express, SF Weekly, and the San Francisco Examiner. Starting in 2015, she begrudgingly scaled the inverted pyramid at dailies such as the Vallejo Times-Herald, The Vacaville Reporter, and the Daily Republic. She has her own independent news site and blog that covers the delightfully dysfunctional town of Vallejo, California, where she also collaborates with the investigative team at Open Vallejo. A passionate advocate for people with developmental disabilities, she serves on both the Board of the Arc of Solano and the Arc of California. She lives in Vallejo.