State offices, courts closed Monday in first observance of Juneteenth holiday

HOLLAND — Michigan's courts and many state government offices will be closed Monday, the first year Juneteenth has been observed as an official holiday for state workers.

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Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in America, commemorating the June 19, 1865, anniversary of Union soldiers arriving in Texas to inform the enslaved population they were freed under President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

This year, the anniversary falls on a Sunday, so Juneteenth — declared a federal holiday in June 2021 by President Joe Biden — is observed June 20.

Local courts, including the 58th District Court and 20th Circuit Court in Ottawa County and the 57th District Court and 48th Circuit Court in Allegan County, will be closed June 20, following an order of the Michigan Supreme Court.

The order, issued June 1, adds Juneteenth to the list of official court holidays. Some essential hearings may still take place via Zoom video-conferencing, Ottawa County courts said in a press release.

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State government branch offices, including the Secretary of State and Unemployment Insurance Agency, will be closed. Allegan County's offices will also be closed Monday.

Most Holland-area city and township offices will remain open.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: State offices, courts closed Monday in first observance of Juneteenth holiday