City workers in Augusta will now get Juneteenth as an official holiday, beginning in 2022.

Richmond County commissioners voted to approve June 19 as a county holiday, according to WFXG.

Juneteeth is the oldest-known celebration that honors the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, learned that they were free, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.

This year, Juneteenth took on greater significance, amid a national reckoning about race, racism and police violence. More corporations treated June 19 as a company holiday this year.

However, it has not been designated as a federal holiday, which would make it a paid day off for many American workers.

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Capt. Brantley Worley was responding to a report of a suspicious person Friday in McCaysville when he was shot. (McCaysville Police Department)

Credit: McCaysville Police Department

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In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com