Pasadena City Hall, Departments to Remain Open on Juneteenth

Pasadena City Hall and all City departments will remain open for business as usual on Wednesday, June 19, which is the federal Juneteenth holiday, according to City spokesperson Lisa Derderian. In contrast, Pasadena public schools, along with Los Angeles County, California state, and federal government offices, will be closed in observance of the holiday.

Most banks will also be closed on Juneteenth.

U.S. post offices will be closed, and regular mail will not be delivered. However, the Postal Service announced that holiday premium Priority Mail Express will still be delivered on Juneteenth.

Juneteenth commemorates the effective end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, enforcing the proclamation and leading to celebrations by freed slaves with prayer, feasting, song, and dance.

Today, Juneteenth is a day to reflect on and celebrate African American history and culture.

The push to make Juneteenth a federal holiday gained momentum in 2020 amid nationwide protests against racial injustice following the murder of George Floyd. In 2021, the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act passed unanimously in the Senate and by a 415-14 vote in the House.

Activists like Opal Lee, known as the “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” campaigned for decades to raise awareness. President Joe Biden signed the act into law on June 17, 2021, making Juneteenth the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.