MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCES CITY HALL, MUNICIPAL BUILDINGS, ICONIC NEW YORK CITY SITES TO BE LIT RED, BLACK, AND GREEN SUNDAY AND MONDAY IN HONOR OF JUNETEENTH

 

 New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced that City Hall and a number of other municipal buildings will be lit in the Pan-African flag colors of red, black, and green tonight and tomorrow evening in honor of Juneteenth. The lighting of city buildings will be done in coordination with other iconic New York City sites across the five boroughs. This year also marks the first time ever Juneteenth will be a paid holiday in New York City after Mayor Adams made the announcement earlier this year.

 

“On this Juneteenth, we proudly say Black history is American history,” said Mayor Adams. “Today is a moment to remember and celebrate the countless contributions of Black Americans to our country, while simultaneously recognizing the many sacrifices and hardships our community has faced. Now, for the first time, we are declaring Juneteenth as a paid New York City holiday, something I have long fought for. I hope all New Yorkers will join with me in acknowledging the freedom Black Americans were denied for far too long.”

 

Although the Emancipation Proclamation declared the end of slavery in 1863, Black people in areas controlled by the Confederacy were still treated as slaves for two additional years. On June 19, 1865, Union troops marched into Galveston, Texas and freed those still in bondage; the nation now celebrates that day as Juneteenth — the moment where promises and reality finally converged.

 

In addition to City Hall, the following city buildings and iconic New York City sites will be lit up red, black and green starting tonight and Monday at sundown:

 

City Buildings Being Lit Up:

• Bronx Borough Hall: 851 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10451
• The David N. Dinkins Manhattan Municipal Building: 1 Centre Street, New York, NY 10007
• Queens Borough Hall: 120-55 Queens Boulevard, Queens, NY 11424 
• Staten Island Borough Hall: 10 Richmond Terrace, Staten Island, NY 10301
• DSNY Salt Shed Complex: 336 Spring St, New York, NY 10013

 

Iconic New York City Sites Being Lit Up:

• 30 Rockefeller Plaza
• Bloomberg Tower
• The Empire State Building
• Javits Center
• Luna Park in Coney Island
• Madison Square Garden 
• The National September 11 Memorial Museum
• One Bryant Park 
• SUMMIT One Vanderbilt
• One World Observatory
• Pier 17 at the Seaport
• Sven LIC
• Weylin

 

For more information on Juneteenth, visit the city’s official website.