State offices are closed for this . And some state lawmakers are hoping new awareness about that day and other moments in history will have an effect on other bills.
Democratic Rep. Thomas West is the president of the Ohio Legislative Black Caucus, which he says is backing a bill to make Juneteenth a paid state holiday. sponsored by Sens. Hearcel Craig (D-Columbus) and Andrew Brenner (R-Delaware).
West said Juneteenth is a celebration, "and it鈥檚 not just for African Americans. It really should be for all of us to celebrate a freedom of slavery. We should all be celebrating that."
The OLBC is also pushing for , which now says .
鈥淭here is a place for history, and that will always be there. I don鈥檛 think slavery is going to go away by taking the term 鈥榮lavery鈥� out of the constitution," West said. "Just like some of our bad history that they鈥檙e taking down statues. That doesn鈥檛 have to go away, but there鈥檚 a place for that. And that place may not be in front of the people that it very stifled.鈥�
He and other members of the OLBC also say they鈥檙e very concerned about two Republican sponsored bills, and that would set restrictions on teaching about race and racism in Ohio schools.
