The Town of Irmo officially recognizes Juneteenth as a town holiday.

Juneteenth commemorates when enslaved people in Texas were finally freed, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture website.

"Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas. The army announced that the more than 250,000 enslaved black people in the state were free by executive decree. This day came to be known as 'Juneteenth,' by the newly freed people in Texas." 

On June 17, 2021, then-President Joe Biden named Juneteenth National Independence Day a federal holiday. 

“The Town of Irmo has demonstrated its commitment to honoring the significance of Juneteenth through the hosting of an annual Juneteenth celebration, providing opportunities for residents to come together in recognition, education, and community fellowship,” the town’s resolution reads. “And whereas designating Juneteenth as an official Town holiday affirms the Town’s values of diversity and respect, and aligns the Town with federal recognition of the holiday while building upon existing community traditions.” 

During a town council workshop earlier this month, Councilwoman Phyllis Coleman raised the discussion of Irmo recognizing Juneteenth as an official holiday. 

Council members discussed how the holiday would impact town events, including the annual Juneteenth celebration hosted by the town.

Coleman said town employees could be scheduled as needed and receive holiday pay, or they could take another day off.

The Town of Irmo will host its annual Juneteenth Celebration on June 19 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Moore Park, located at 7437 Church St. The event will include entertainment, activities and more for attendees.

Irmo isn’t the only local municipality to recognize Juneteenth as a holiday.

In December 2021, the City of Cayce officially recognized Juneteenth as a holiday, followed by the Town of Lexington in 2022. In November 2022, the Town of Swansea voted to replace Confederate Memorial Day with Juneteenth.

The most recent Census data shows that over 12,000 people live in the Town of Irmo, and that its population is 27% Black. Lexington County is home to over 313,000 people, and its population is almost 17% Black.