ORLANDO – Orlando City SC Thursday announced that it will close its offices at Exploria Stadium Friday in observation of Juneteenth.
June 19 will also become an annually recognized organizational holiday, the Major League Soccer club said in a press release.
“The club, which recently denounced racism, systemic injustices and vowed to do more, is proud to join its employees and many other organizations across the country in celebrating and reflecting on this important day in United States history,” a statement in the press release said.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated holiday that celebrates the end of salvery in the south. Recognized annually on June 19, Juneteenth marks the anniversary of the same day in 1865 — two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation — when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the Civil War had ended and the country’s remaining enslaved people were freed.
In addition to recognizing Juneteenth, the club stated htat will continue to create a constructive dialogue with vital members of Orlando’s black and minority communities, and will strive to make meaningful differences through its actions – both within the Club and in the greater Orlando area.
