Governor Andrew Cuomo has signed an executive order making Juneteenth a paid holiday for state workers in New York.

Cuomo Wednesday announced the action to recognize June 19, the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas learned they were being freed.

The governor said he plans to propose legislation to make Juneteenth an official state holiday next year.

Cuomo said he believes Juneteenth has not "been recognized with the importance that it denotes."

The Binghamton Juneteenth Committee has announced that due to the COVID-19 pandemic and current state health directives, there will be no organized celebration at Columbus Park this year.

The committee is holding a virtual Juneteenth celebration, which will take place via its Facebook page.

In past years, hundreds of people have attended the Juneteenth events at Columbus Park.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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