Yesterday, President Biden signed a law declaring Juneteenth National Independence Day, June 19, as an official federal holiday, effective immediately. This is the first time a new federal holiday has been added since 1986, and it is of enormous significance to our country.

The first Juneteenth is tomorrow, so to honor the holiday, we’re closing campus at noon today . To ensure everyone receives the full benefit of the holiday, we’re closing campus at noon on Friday, July 2, too.

Now, we know this is short notice, and we know many of us have obligations this afternoon that will prevent – or make difficult – us leaving at noon today. If you’re unable to leave early today, you may take a half-day off in the next two weeks instead, including a full day on July 2 if you prefer. Work with your supervisor to make those arrangements.

Next year, Juneteenth will become a permanent fixture in our holiday schedule and will receive a full day off like our other holidays.

This means our holiday schedule for the next few weeks is as follows:
– Today, June 18: Closed 12-5 p.m. for Juneteenth National Independence Day
– Friday, July 2: Closed 12-5 p.m. for Juneteenth National Independence Day
– Monday, July 5: Closed for U.S. Independence Day

If you’re unfamiliar with the significance of this holiday, The Smithsonian’s Museum of African American History & Culture has a short write-up about the holiday that you should read here, and of course, the news this weekend will likely include lots of stories and reporting about the new holiday.

For questions about this topic or other related matters, please reach out to:

REGINA SWITZER
Vice President, HR
rswitzer@occc.edu