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    Thomason’s plans growth and with it, a broader distribution of its famous baked beans

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    Thomason’s plans growth and with it, a broader distribution of its famous baked beans

    Thomason’s plans growth and with it, a broader distribution of its famous baked beans

    BRIEFS: HCPL hosts Veterans Resource Fair; City High class of ’75 reunion; HPD wants help finding car thieves

    WEHT/WTVW employees rally for their union

    WEHT/WTVW employees rally for their union

    Good News: Habitat breaks ground on another build; future owner ‘overwhelmed with joy’

    Good News: Habitat breaks ground on another build; future owner ‘overwhelmed with joy’

    Pittsburg uses new construction process to build a new type of water storage tank

    Pittsburg uses new construction process to build a new type of water storage tank

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    Pitching ace Kemp uses bat to send Lady Cols to state again

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    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

    HMP&L signs initial agreement to build a battery energy storage system on South Green Street

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    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    Executive director says this year’s arts alliance lineup gives people what they want

    Executive director says this year’s arts alliance lineup gives people what they want

    2000 baseball Cols remember fondly state championship season a quarter century later

    2000 baseball Cols remember fondly state championship season a quarter century later

    Summer Sunset Series, SummerFest ratchet up Henderson festival season this week

    Summer Sunset Series, SummerFest ratchet up Henderson festival season this week

    May the summer blockbuster season begin!

    May the summer blockbuster season begin!

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    The Gnomes of Audubon Forest, a Henderson Tourist Commission initiative, is a scavenger hunt for all ages

    No Kentucky Home, Part 4: A missing bench comes to symbolize missing solutions to homelessness

    No Kentucky Home, Part 3: A church called its vision for housing a ‘Beacon of Hope.’ The mayor had concerns.

    No Kentucky Home, Part 2: After living outdoors for weeks, she got a place to sleep, a shower — and a job

    HCHS grad Tyler Brocato currently competing in a national chef competition

    HCHS grad Tyler Brocato currently competing in a national chef competition

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Beshear makes Juneteenth a Kentucky holiday, protects natural hair in state workplaces

Sarah Ladd by Sarah Ladd
May 25, 2024
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Courtesy of Kentucky Lantern
May 23, 2024

Gov. Andy Beshear on Thursday signed executive orders making Juneteenth an executive branch holiday and protecting natural hairstyles like braids, locs and twists from discrimination. 

Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have tried and failed to pass bills on both of these issues. 

Sen. Whitney Westerfield, R-Fruit Hill, is among those who have championed the CROWN Act, which is an acronym for “Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.” His latest bill stalled this session after being passed over in the Senate several times and recommitted to the Judiciary Committee. 

Democratic Floor Leader Sen. Gerald Neal, D-Louisville, also filed a bill this session to make June 19 — Juneteenth — a state holiday. It did not get a hearing. 

The Juneteenth executive order 

Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, commemorating the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free in Galveston, Texas. President Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier, in 1863, but it was not immediately enforced in many areas of the south. 

“I’ve decided I can no longer wait for others to do what is right,” Beshear, a Democrat, said Thursday ahead of signing the order. 

“It is our responsibility to look back at one of the ugliest chapters in our history. We must look at it straight on and not hide from our own history, even the parts that are painful.” Beshear said. “Instead, we recognize it, we attempt to learn from it and we work to repair the lasting damage and heal our nation’s wounds so we can make progress for a better tomorrow.”  

His executive order will make Juneteenth an official holiday in Kentucky, in line with actions taken by at least 28 other states, according to the Pew Research Center.  Sen. Gerald Neal

“It is impossible for me to ever fully imagine the horror and lasting scars and legacy of slavery and Jim Crow,” Beshear said during a gathering in the Capitol Rotunda. “But as governor, I’m committed to listening, to learning, to trying to hear and then to take intentional action.” 

Neal joined Beshear Thursday. He said Juneteenth symbolizes “both jubilation and a solemn reminder of the struggles and achievements of African Americans.” He has tried for several years to pass a bill codifying Juneteenth and said he’s committed to keep trying. 

“I urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to support legislation in the upcoming session, recognizing the pivotal role Black Americans have played in shaping our country,” Neal said. In doing so, “we honor our shared history and demonstrate a commitment to equality and justice for all.”  

Natural hairstyles protected

As of 2023, 22 states had enacted CROWN Acts, according to the Legal Defense Fund. The national CROWN Act campaign found, based on a 2023 study, that about half of Black women feel pressured to straighten their hair in job interviews, professional headshots and on the job.  Melinda Wofford

They also found more than a fifth of Black women between 25 and 34 were sent home from their work because of their hair. Additionally, the survey found that Black women with textured hair are two times more likely to report microaggressions at work than Black women with straightened hair. 

Beshear’s executive order applies only to state government workers and job applicants. Effective immediately, it prohibits discrimination in state government workplaces based on “traits historically associated with race, including, but not limited to natural hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists.” 

“The way my hair looks is not a reflection of my work ethic,” said Melinda Wofford, an assistant director in the state’s Transportation Cabinet. “It definitely (is) not a reflection of my character. This order makes possible the freedom needed for me to continue to wear my hair in its natural state, the state that God blessed me with, without fear of discrimination in the workplace.”

Kentucky Lantern is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Kentucky Lantern maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jamie Lucke for questions: info@kentuckylantern.com.

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