Hennepin County, Minneapolis City Council vote to make Juneteenth a holiday

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, will soon be recognized as an official holiday by Hennepin County and the City of Minneapolis.

Friday, the Minneapolis City Council voted to approve making Juneteenth a new city holiday on June 19. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey is expected to sign the measure on Monday.

"We join Hennepin County and so many other jurisdictions throughout the county in acknowledging this stain in American history," said City Council Vice President Andrea Jenkins in a statement. "This is an important step in recognizing the reach of the hideous system of slavery within American history and the impacts that continue to show up today."

On Tuesday, the Hennepin County Board is expected to approve a resolution to make Juneteenth a holiday. 

Once finally approved, the day will be a paid holiday for city and county staff. Since June 19 falls on a Saturday this year, the holiday will be observed on Friday, June 18.