On Monday, Nov. 20, Mauldin City Council unanimously voted to adopt Juneteenth as a City holiday beginning in 2024. Officials say the move will help to create an inclusive environment for staff and community members and to recognize an important day for Mauldin’s African-American community.
Staff initially proposed adopting Juneteenth as a City holiday at the Finance and Policy Committee meeting on Nov. 6; the Committee then forwarded the matter to City Council with a recommendation for approval.
“Adding Juneteenth to our holiday schedule is a step forward that sustains the City’s commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said Finance and Police Committee Chairman Michael Reynolds. “We wanted to proactively acknowledge a significant day for many members of our community and recognize the importance of freedom, equality and opportunity for all individuals.”
Juneteenth commemorates the end of slavery in the United States; it became the latest federal holiday in 2021.
Mauldin’s holiday schedule details when City offices are closed and provides an opportunity for employees to enjoy religious or cultural celebrations or remembrances. This is the City’s first update to its holiday schedule in more than a decade.
“A number of municipalities across South Carolina have begun to adopt this important holiday,” said City Administrator Seth Duncan. “With a growing and diverse community, we believed that it was important to ensure our holiday schedule reflected that diversity and the values of this great City.”
In addition to Juneteenth, Mauldin has 11 declared holidays — New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day — as well as one floating holiday of an employee’s choice.
The City is in the process of planning its first-ever Juneteenth celebration for 2024.
