Source: Ira L. Black – Corbis / Getty
The Big Apple is starting to get woke. New York City public schools will be celebrating Juneteenth as an official holiday on their academic calendar.
As spotted on Gothamist NYC has made some significant changes to some key dates in the school year. On Tuesday, May 4 they confirmed that Juneteenth, a day that signifies day the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States, will be recognized as an holiday. This means all learning institutions from kindergarten to 12th grade will be closed on June 20 in observance of the day that has gained much more relevance within the last year.
They have shown that they will no longer paint Christopher Columbus as a heroic and daring explorer who discovered the Americas. Earlier this week city officials announced that the celebration will be officially renamed Indigenous People’s Day to honor the legacy of Native Americans. But with the new designation came push back from the Italian community who argued changing the name all together would leave no room for homage to their culture.
“Italian Heritage Day/Indigenous People’s Day will celebrate the contributions and legacies of Italian Americans and recognize that Native people are the first inhabitants of the land that became our country,” said DOE spokesperson Danielle Filson in a statement. “By including these holidays on our calendar we are honoring the past, present, and future contributions of Indigenous communities and Italian Americans.”
Additionally Election Day will no longer be a holiday but will serve as a remote learning day for students.
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