OSPS E-News ~ FW: Celebrating Juneteenth

[Announcements from OSPS to the users of the Oregon State Payroll Application]

Hello Payroll Professionals,

This holiday does not go into effect until 2022. The bill HB 2168 does not go into effect until 90 days after session ends.

Thanks,

Jason
(971) 900-7688

From: all_exec_employees-bounces at list.oregonsdc.org <all_exec_employees-bounces at list.oregonsdc.org> On Behalf Of Governor Brown * GOV
Sent: Wednesday, June 16, 2021 9:01 AM
To: all_exec_employees at state.or.us
Subject: Celebrating Juneteenth


To all state employees,


Last week I signed into law HB 2168<https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2021R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2168/Enrolled>, making Juneteenth<https://nmaahc.si.edu/blog-post/historical-legacy-juneteenth> (also known as Emancipation Day) an official state holiday in Oregon. Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when a group of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned that they were free from slavery-almost two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. Today we celebrate Juneteenth on June 19 to commemorate the freedom of Black Americans and to recognize the end of slavery in the United States.


We must never forget that, as the framers crafted our country's founding documents, their ideas of liberty, justice, and a more perfect union applied only to a select few. The white landowners who created the Constitution and the Bill of Rights founded this country on democratic principles, while perpetuating violence towards human beings they treated as property. For centuries, Black people were ripped from their homes and families, shipped across oceans, and bought, traded, and abused. The wound of that horrific past on the soul of this nation has not healed, as the legacy of slavery shapes the inequities of our present day.


Celebrating and recognizing Juneteenth as a state holiday is one step towards healing and justice. It is a small, yet important step, to reimagining a more perfect union that truly protects the rights of all.


We must continue on the path to liberty, justice, and equity for all. As I've mentioned before, one of my top priorities is ending systemic racism and addressing racial disparities. I am grateful for the work of the Racial Justice Council<https://www.oregon.gov/gov/policy/racial-justice-council/Pages/default.aspx> and the legislature's BIPOC caucus<https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/pham/Documents/BIPOC%20Caucus%20Legislative%20Agenda%203.1.21.pdf> for their work to address Oregon's past of racism and division. Working together, we can build a just and equitable Oregon-a place where everyone is included and at home, and where we all have the opportunity to be safe and thrive.


Because HB 2168 makes Juneteenth an official state holiday starting in 2022, this year I have proclaimed<https://www.oregon.gov/gov/Documents/Juneteenth2021.pdf> June 19 to be Juneteenth in Oregon. I encourage all Oregonians to take time to learn about the history of Juneteenth and to celebrate together. This should be a day of celebration, reflection, and joy.


I also know there is still much more work to do, and I remain committed to engaging with communities across Oregon to fight for an Oregon where everyone can thrive.


As always, thank you for your service.


Sincerely,

Governor Kate Brown


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