State offices close Friday, June 19, to mark Juneteenth

Gov. John Carney announced June 18 that state offices will be closed Friday, June 19, in recognition of Juneteenth – a celebration held to commemorate the end of slavery. 

“Over the last several weeks, we have seen largely peaceful protests demanding racial justice and equality across our state. I have spent much of this time listening, and trying to chart a productive path forward.

“We can make meaningful change, and I believe we will,” Carney said. “As we move forward, I believe the least that each of us can do is commit to learning the lessons of our history. The good and the bad. That’s why on Friday, June 19, we will close state offices in recognition of Juneteenth, which commemorates the emancipation of the last enslaved African Americans in the United States. This holiday offers an opportunity to encourage open dialogue, and to recommit to treating one another with more respect.”

Carney said the Delaware Heritage Commission will create an educational program around issues of race and slavery in Delaware and the U.S. “If we don’t educate ourselves and acknowledge our ugly history around race, we can’t begin to understand the anger and frustration that I’ve heard from so many Delawareans in the last several weeks,” he said. Carney also announced he will sign an executive order to ban the use of chokeholds at the Delaware State Police and Capitol Police, and require additional de-escalation training. “We will stop posting mugshots of children, mandate participation in the national use-of-force database, and increase crisis intervention training and mental health services for police officers. These are first steps that we can take administratively to improve the relationship between law enforcement and communities of color,” he said.