Juneteenth

Governor andy beshear has just signed a proclamation recognizing juneteenth for the first time in state history.

He also says he's asking the legislature to make it a state holiday.

But for many people juneteenth might be new.so what is it?

It commemorates the date when more than 250-thousand slaves in texas found out the civil war was over and they'd actually been freed by president lincoln two years earlier.

Though attempts to make juneteeth a federal holiday have been unsuccessful...sev eral states recognize it.

Now...the small kentucky city of midway is recognizing juneteenth as an official holiday.

Mayor grayson vandergrift says it's not quote "earth shattering"..but it's a step in the right direction.

"we need to celebrate this holiday and as we do it, observe what it means and then talk about the lengths we have to go because we've got a long way to go in this fight for equal justice under law."

Vandergrift cites the recent deaths of breonna taylor and george floyd as the need for change...and says he hope other cities follow suit.

He says although midway won't have a city-wide celebration this year...events will be held in 2021.

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