Islip Town Employee Launches Campaign For Juneteenth Holiday

ISLIP, NY —Alexis Weik, the receiver of taxes for the town of Islip, wrote a letter to the town board members last week arguing for an official Juneteenth holiday to be recognized by the township. Juneteenth is observed in many states on June 19, to commemorate the ending of slavery after the Civil War. Amid recent efforts in the United States Senate to make Juneteenth a federally-recognized national holiday, Weik launched a campaign to have the town of Islip officially recognize the day.

Juneteenth is not yet a New York State holiday, although Gov. Cuomo has stated he will begin efforts to establish it as one by next year. Weik is running for state senate this fall as a Republican against Monica Martinez.

“Just like July 4th, Juneteenth is a day to celebrate independence in our country and it must be justly recognized throughout our nation. It is a day of historical significance that represents the point our nation began the process of correcting an egregious wrong and thus its impact on our nation must always be remembered and honored. It also is a clear sign that, while there is more work for our nation to do to fully heal from the wounds of slavery, we are a nation that has the ability to enact change when it is warranted and just. Juneteenth is a testament to the American idea that deserves to be remembered every year,” Weik said in a news release.

According to Weik, Islip Supervisor Angie Carpenter and the town council members have indicated willingness to work on establishing an official Islip designation but no concrete actions have begun yet.