CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – Governor Patrick Morrisey has signed a proclamation recognizing Friday, June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth Day in West Virginia, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and encouraging residents to reflect on the significance of freedom and liberty.
The proclamation recognizes Juneteenth as the day marking June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that enslaved people were free, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation.
“Juneteenth marks a significant chapter in our nation’s history and serves as a reminder that the promise of liberty must extend to every American,” said Governor Morrisey.
“West Virginia has its own important place in that history, having abolished slavery before the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. Today, we reaffirm our commitment to the principles of liberty.”
According to the governor’s office, West Virginia enacted legislation abolishing slavery on Feb. 3, 1865, several months before the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified later that year.
Governor Morrisey is encouraging West Virginians to observe Juneteenth by reflecting on the nation’s shared history and the values of freedom, justice and opportunity.
