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Gov. David Ige signed two bills into law Wednesday that recognize Juneteenth and Kalaupapa Month in the state of Hawaii.
“I’m pleased to be here today to sign bills that recognize members in our community who have endured struggles, both past and present, about unequal treatment here in the islands and across the country,” Ige said.
Senate Bill 939 established June 19 as a permanent day of reflection. Also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day and Black Independence Day, the holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.
“It is now more important and timely than ever that Hawaii stands in acknowledgment of the African American experience here in this country,” Ige said. “Hawaii is a diverse community. We choose to celebrate our diversity and the differences that make our community stronger and more vibrant.”
The U.S. House also voted 415-14 Wednesday to make Juneteenth the 12th federal holiday. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden’s desk to be signed into law. It’s the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created in 1983.
Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said Ige’s signing of the Juneteenth bill represents “long overdue recognition of a watershed moment in history,” and that while the holiday is a time to reflect on the past, it is also a time to recommit to a “more just and equal
future.”
“As we celebrate this bill’s passage and reflect on the significance of Juneteenth, we must all recognize there remains much work to be done, and reaffirm our shared commitment to doing that work,” Recktenwald said.
Miss Hawaii USA 2020
Samantha Neyland said she was “honored” to see the Juneteenth bill signed. Neyland founded Hawaii for Juneteenth, a coalition of elected officials, activists, nonprofit organizations and local businesses advocating for state recognition of the holiday.
“When I launched Hawaii for Juneteenth in June of 2020, I knew I had a long road ahead of me, but I always believed that it would lead to this moment here today because I know where I come from,” Neyland said. “I know that
Hawaii is a melting pot of
diversity. I know that we welcome and celebrate all minority communities, and I know that we have always stood on the forefront of speaking out against racial and social injustice.”
Senate Bill 697 recognized the month of January as Kalaupapa Month, in honor of the community and its contributions to
Hawaii’s history.
According to Ige, January is a significant month for Kalaupapa, as it was the first month that patients with Hansen’s disease arrived in the community in 1866. January is also the birth month of Saint Damien and Saint Marianne, who served the people of Kalaupapa.
“In dedicating January of each year Kalaupapa Month, we hope to inspire the people of Hawaii to remember the estimated 8,000 patients who were sent to Kalaupapa, and … despite the odds against them, came together to build a community of caring, respect and aloha for each other, and for the broader community,” Ige said.
State Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D-West Maui-South Maui) said the bill’s signing will give the people of Hawaii “an opportunity to really think about how we treat others.”
State Rep. Lynn DeCoite (D, Lanai-Molokai-Paia-Hana) said that designating Kalaupapa Month is a “sign of respect and aloha” to Kalaupapa’s legacy.
“We’ve come a long way from this time. We have medicine, we have education on our side now,” DeCoite said. “We also have compassion and understanding, many of it thanks to those who were patients at this settlement.”
Both laws went into effect immediately following their signing.
“These measures are
important because they help acknowledge the
stories and atrocities of the past, but most importantly, they inspire us to move
forward with history and recognize the accomplishments that have occurred,” Ige said.
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