Pittsburgh council wants to make Juneteenth an annual city holiday

Pittsburgh City Council on Tuesday asked Mayor Bill Peduto to declare June 19 — a commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States — an annual city holiday, starting in 2021.

Council President Theresa Kail-Smith sponsored the “will of council” request, which will be sent to the Mayor’s Office. It was unclear if Peduto will honor it.

Kail-Smith said she hopes Peduto will make it a paid holiday for employees. She said she was working to find out whether that would impact union contracts and finances.

On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, and informed residents that the Civil War had ended and slaves were free. The date, known as Juneteenth, became the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the country.