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Henrico County Public Schools will begin celebrating Juneteenth as an annual holiday, Superintendent Amy Cashwell announced in an email to employees Tuesday.
Juneteenth is the recognition of the official end of slavery in the United States – June 19, 1865. That’s the date on which slaves in Galveston, Texas learned that the Civil War had ended and that they were free, becoming the last slaves in the nation to earn that freedom.
Cashwell made her announcement without any knowledge that Gov. Ralph Northam also was planning to make the occasion an annual state holiday; he announced those plans Tuesday at a press conference, which is when Henrico Schools officials first learned about them, one told the Citizen.
Since the county’s school system operates on a Monday through Thursday schedule during the summer, school facilities already would have been closed June 19, so they’ll close June 22 instead as a way to recognize the occasion.
“Over the past week, I’ve engaged in several emotional and difficult conversations with employees, students, and community members,” Cashwell wrote. “They’ve shared with me the trauma they are experiencing in light of the recent acts of racism, hate, and bigotry seen across our nation, as well about their personal struggles for racial equity within the Henrico County Public Schools organization. While I recognize that I can never fully understand the feelings of our African-American community, I promise I will continue to bring empathy, as well as a commitment to listen and be introspective as our organization continues this critical dialogue.
“A point that has resonated with me during these conversations is the overwhelming sentiment that black culture is neither seen nor valued. Let us not miss this opportunity as an organization and as individuals to recognize and reflect on this deeply meaningful tradition of celebration.”
Cashwell asked employees to use the time off as an opportunity to examine how they, and the school system as a whole, could better understand or recognize the experiences that Blacks and other minorities have had.
“Let’s look within ourselves, perhaps sit with some discomfort and reflect on what each of us can do differently,” she wrote.
The holiday June 22 will not impact the senior photos that had been planned earlier this year for graduates of two county high schools.
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