Today is Juneteenth, which commemorates the day that the Union Army reached the people of Galveston, Texas and informed them the Civil War was over and that all slaves were free. This came two and a half years after the emancipation proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln. While local Juneteenth ceremonies were held virtually earlier this week, this year it is being recognized by the state of Pennsylvania as a special holiday where state employees will get the day off.
Under an order from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, all of the 73,400 workers in agencies under his jurisdiction will either receive today off, or if they have to work today, they will receive a compensatory day. The governor is urging all Pennsylvanians to take time to reflect on how everyone can “promote equality, liberty and justice for all people.”
As part of that, IUP has cancelled classes for the day. In a letter from IUP President Michael Driscoll, classes are off and employees have been given the day off, with the exception of “essential employees”.
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