Juneteenth is now Colorado’s 11th official state holiday after Gov. Jared Polis signed the designation into law on Monday.

Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day and Emancipation Day, celebrates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday recognizes June 19, when Major General Gordon Granger announced slaves in Texas were free in 1865. The announcement came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln declared the end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation.

“It’s long past time to make Juneteenth a Colorado state holiday,” said Sen. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora, who helped lead the effort. “I am proud to champion this important legislation, which will help educate all Coloradans about the horrors of slavery, make space to celebrate the Black community, and lift up our ongoing work to make sure we don’t forget our past.”

Senate Bill 139, which recognizes the holiday, passed the state House in a 61-2 vote in April and the state Senate in a 32-1 vote in March. The three Republican lawmakers who opposed the bill did not explain the reason behind their “no” votes on the floor.

Three Black lawmakers championed the bill: Buckner, Denver Democrat Rep. Leslie Herod, and Denver Democrat Sen. James Coleman.

The bill signing comes nearly 70 years after Denver’s first official Juneteenth celebration held in the historic Five Points neighborhood in 1953. Denver’s annual Juneteenth parade and music festival is one of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the country, attracting around 50,000 attendees each year, according to event organizers.

“Juneteenth has been celebrated by the Black community for generations, and beginning today, this statewide holiday will receive all formal recognition, celebration and reflection it deserves,” Herod said. “Juneteenth uplifts the voices of the Black community and showcases the perseverance of past and present generations.”

The bill sponsors said this is the first time legislation has been introduced to officially recognize Juneteenth in Colorado. Local politicians and activists have been fighting for the holiday for years.

“Making Juneteenth a state holiday means Colorado would not only recognize that Black people are free, but that all people are free,” Coleman said. “It is a recognition that we not only desire for some Coloradans to prosper, but for all to prosper, and for all Coloradans, regardless of race or background, to earn a living wage, have an affordable place to call home, and get the equitable access to health care and education people need to move forward and thrive.”

Colorado is officially designating the holiday just under one year after Juneteenth National Independence Day was made a federal holiday – the first since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. In February 2021, the city of Denver also established Juneteenth as an official city commemorative holiday.

This is the first change to Colorado’s state holidays since 2020, when lawmakers repealed Columbus Day, replacing it with Frances Xavier Cabrini Day.