What's Closed In Redondo Beach On Juneteenth 2022

REDONDO BEACH, CA — It has been celebrated for decades, but Juneteenth will ring in only its second year as a federal holiday on Monday.

In Redondo Beach, events will be held over the long weekend; some workers will get the day off on Monday, and many buildings will close that day.

Juneteenth is a day that commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, got word that the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted — they were the last such people to get word of their freedom. The holiday has also been called Freedom Day or Emancipation day.

Last year, Congress and President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday. It was the first time the U.S. government had designated a new federal holiday since approving Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

This year, nearly 20 states were expected to close state offices and give most of their public employees time off.
California’s AB-1655 passed the Assembly and moved to the Senate this month, and individual cities such as Santa Monica and Los Angeles have already signed proclamations making Juneteenth an official holiday.

The day is typically recognized on June 19, but since that falls on a Sunday this year, it will be observed on Monday to give workers a paid day off.

Earlier this year, the Redondo Beach Unified School District made Juneteenth a paid holiday for its employees.

Here's what will be closed or canceled in Redondo Beach on Monday:

- Banks

- Federal Government Buildings

- City Buildings

- City Services

- Schools

- Los Angeles County Libraries

- The U.S. Postal Service/Post Offices

The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously in August 2020 to initiate the process of making Juneteenth — June 19 — an official city holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. The motion was introduced by Councilmen Curren Price, Herb Wesson and Marqueece Harris-Dawson following June 2020 demonstrations demanding racial equity and justice in the country and to protest the killings of Black Americans at the hands of police.

"The recognition of Juneteenth from the federal government, and now with this second largest city in the U.S., signals a changing tide, one that's long overdue, in the name of equity, racial justice and dignity," Price said Friday. "As a 71-year-old Black man in America, I have lived the struggles and understand first-hand the toll that it's taken on our people. In the words of the great Maya Angelou, 'still we rise."'

"The journey for Black Americans has been long and windy, filled with a bruised and a shameful past. However, embracing the pain and remembering and honoring our sacrifice strengthens and unites us," he added.

READ MORE: Santa Monica To Mark 30th Juneteenth Celebration With Music, Panels

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.