Kentucky governor signs proclamation recognizing Juneteenth

MIDWAY, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has signed a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth and says he will encourage lawmakers to pass a bill next year to recognize it as a state holiday. Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free 155 years ago. Beshear says it’s important to remind people that the impacts of slavery continue to linger and celebrate “that at least portions of that dark chapter ended.” The Courier Journal reports that the small Kentucky city of Midway made Juneteenth an official holiday on Wednesday.