By Logan C. Ritchie, contributor 

Tucker, GA — Tucker is planning a celebration to mark Juneteenth but unlike some other local cities, the city of Tucker’s offices will not be closed in observance of the newest federal holiday.

The city council approved its calendar on Feb. 15. The calendar omits Juneteenth as a holiday for the purposes of closing city hall.

Celebrated on June 19, Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021. A combination of the words “June” and “nineteenth,” the holiday commemorates the day when Black slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned they were free. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in 1862 and it went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863. But the slaves in Galveston weren’t informed until June 19, 1865.

Juneteenth falls on a Sunday in 2022. According to federal holiday guidelines, which are generally followed by other local governments, the Juneteenth holiday would ordinarily be observed on Monday, June 20.

The cities of Avondale Estates, Decatur, Clarkston, Brookhaven, Chamblee and Doraville are all closing in observance of Juneteenth.

At the Feb. 15 Tucker City Council meeting, a 5-2 vote ruled to observe 11 holidays in 2022, which does not include Juneteenth.

To read the full story on Tucker Observer, click here.

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