'We had hoped at the time we did the county holiday that it would be the kind of ice breaker, the kind of disruption that people had been waiting for for a long time,' State Senator Dave Cortese said. 'And that, I think, puts a healthy tension on government and society to make things right for everybody.'
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, Calif. -- In 2020, Santa Clara County voted to make Juneteenth a county holiday, the first county in California. As the holiday approaches this weekend, leaders hope that action may lead to statewide change.This weekend, our community will come together to celebrate Juneteenth, a special day for"Juneteenth allows us to come together as a community," Balinton said.
"We didn't even know we were making history at the time, but we knew that we were doing something right," Balinton said. "Part of the reason it was so important to go first was because someone had to," Supervisor Chavez said."And second of all, everybody wants to live in a place they belong. Every time we take an action like this, it's one more opportunity for people to know they belong."