On Tuesday, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners voted to follow state and federal guidance and recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
The board unanimously approved the holiday, increasing the number of holidays in the county to 12.
“It really speaks to our commitment to truly valuing our workforce, not with just a paid holiday, but also the culture and diversity and the spirit of diversity within our community,” Nicole Hendrickson, the commission chairwoman, said in the meeting.
Gov. Brian Kemp signed legislation that makes the federal Juneteenth holiday commemorating the end of slavery a paid day off for Georgia employees earlier this month.
Gwinnett is the most diverse county in the state, but the last core metro Atlanta county to make Juneteenth a paid holiday for employees. Fulton and DeKalb County made it a holiday in 2020, while Cobb and Clayton approved it in 2021.
Because June 19 falls on a Sunday this year, Juneteenth will be observed on Monday, June 20.
AJC in Context: What is Juneteenth?
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