The Gwinnett Place Community Improvement District recently announced it will officially observe June 19 or Juneteenth as a holiday. It is the first CID in metro Atlanta to publicly adopt the observance of this new national holiday.

According to information provided by the GPCID, “In celebration of the district’s diverse and multicultural makeup, GPCID wanted to recognize the magnitude and historical significance Juneteenth represents.”

Within one of the most diverse counties in the United States, Gwinnett Place has no single racial group representing more than 30% of the area’s population.

Juneteenth honors June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to ensure African Americans were freed following the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, which had occurred two and a half years earlier.

GPCID will also align its holiday schedule with Gwinnett ‘s official holiday schedule.

Information: www.gwinnettplacecid.com.