True Left

After initially saying it was too expensive, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced on Monday that Chicago will recognize Juneteenth as an official city holiday, the Chicago Sun Times reports.

“I, like many others, didn’t even know anything about Juneteenth until I was an adult. And that’s because it has never been treated with the reverence that it should be,” Lightfoot said at Chicago’s Daley Center Plaza on Monday.

“If you look at the history books that are used to teach our children, you may only see a passing reference, if at all. We must change that,” Lightfoot added. The city will start observing Juneteenth as an official holiday in 2022.

Last year, the Chicago City Council voted to recognize Juneteenth by making June 19 an annual day of observance, but the upgrade to an official city holiday will provide a paid day off.