HARTFORD, Conn. — As Connecticut prepares to celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday, state officials raised a flag to recognize the holiday.
The date marks the actual end of slavery in the United States in 1865.
According to a release, this is the first time in Connecticut history that a Juneteenth Flag will be flown on the State Capitol.
A Black Lives Matter flag was flown above the building last year to recognize the movement and the significance of the holiday.
State Senator Marilyn Moore held a press conference on south steps of the building on Wednesday.
Moore's office announced that the senator has been committed to addressing racial inequality and committed to assessing legislation through a racial equity lens.
Earlier this month, Connecticut's House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 1, declaring racism a public health crisis in the state. The legislation passed on the 100-year anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre on Black Wall Street.
It also passed the state Senate 30-5 in May.
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