Pharrell has spent a considerable amount of time assisting and giving back to his home state of Virginia, most recently helming the Something In The Water Festival (which is tentatively slated to return in 2021). Today (June 17), he continued his efforts by helping state Governor Ralph Northam declare that the state will officially recognize Juneteenth as a holiday beginning in 2021.
“Juneteenth matters now because it says to the black community, this is not just your history, this is everyone’s shared history, and we recognize it together,” Gov. Northam said to the Daily Press. “This symbol, this holiday, is one step toward reconciliation.”
“Today I joined Virginia Gov. Northam to announce Juneteenth as a state holiday,” Pharrell added. “A paid holiday is just the start—to stand in solidarity with Black employees and with all Black people.”
Currently, 46 states and Washington, DC officially recognize Juneteenth as a paid holiday for state employees, with many pushing to make it an official state holiday (including New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who also announced similar plans and goals today).
#JUNETEENTH declared state holiday in #Virginia 👏🏾 ……it’s a start #BlackLivesMatter 💪🏾✌🏾✊🏾 pic.twitter.com/x2BPFkSI0Y
— Rico Robinson (@TheRicoRobinson) June 16, 2020
