State Rep. Susan Helm remembers the day nine years ago when a constituent walked into her office to discuss Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

Carolyn Mills was set on ensuring that the celebration — which is formally acknowledged in more than 30 states across the country — be recognized in Pennsylvania.

“Before I die,” Mills told Helm, “I want this to be a law.”

Mills was in perfect health when she made that proclamation, and went on to work with Helm for nearly a decade. She succumbed to cancer last year, but her family said her legacy will be honored when Gov. Tom Wolf signs a bill Wednesday officially designating June 19 “Juneteenth National Freedom Day” statewide.

“Once it’s signed,” said Mills’ brother, Gary Lawson, “I’ll be in jubilation.”

The observance of Juneteenth dates to June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger announced in Galveston, Texas, that all slaves were free. Though Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation more than two years previously, the effect was far from immediate.

Granger’s proclamation has come to mark the freeing of what historians recognize as “the last bastion” of slaves. In the years since, Juneteenth has become a widely celebrated milestone across the country, often marked by parades and festivals.

“We can stand together, sing together, reminisce together,” said Harrisburg NAACP chapter president Franklin Allen, “and cherish the idea that we came through.”

Wednesday’s signing will mark the end of a long fight, Helm said. Though her bill — inspired by Mills — passed the state House of Representatives on four separate occasions, it failed in the Senate each time before it passed last week.

State Rep. Susan Helm and Gov. Tom Wolf celebrate after the signing of a bill designating June 19 "Juneteenth National Freedom Day." (Commonwealth Media Services.)

“At first, they just didn’t pay any attention to it,” she said. “I don’t think they understood the importance of it.”

Much of the resistance to the bill was due to concerns about cost, Helm said. But Juneteenth won’t be a paid holiday — just an observed one — meaning employers don’t have to worry about giving their workers a paid day off.

Still, the date will be marked on the calendar, and the bill calls on state governments, schools and civic organizations “to observe the day in a manner that emphasizes the meaning and importance of the end of slavery in the United States and to recognize and celebrate the importance of this day to every person who cherishes liberty and equality for all people.”

Though many states have recognized Juneteenth with a proclamation or resolution, Pennsylvania will become one of a smaller number that’s formally enshrined it in law, Lawson said.

Helm said she has encountered many people unfamiliar with the day, and she’s hopeful that the bill will provide an opportunity to educate Pennsylvanians about the country’s long history of slavery.

And though it’s a time for celebration, it also calls for solemnity and reflection on current issues facing black communities, Allen said.

“Slavery is not over for the African-American,” he said. “We do recognize that we don’t go to battle every day — we don’t mend our muskets and go out into the streets — but psychologically we’re still there.”

At nearly 9 percent as of the end of last year, Pennsylvania had the highest African-American unemployment rate of any state in the country, second only to Washington D.C., according to the Economic Policy Institute. EPI’s data measured national black unemployment at 6.5 percent. Franklin said those numbers show there’s still work to be done.

Though Lawson and Mills were born and raised in Harrisburg, Lawson now lives outside Des Moines and spearheaded an effort to pass a law recognizing Juneteenth in Iowa. He succeeded in 2002.

His sister was so dedicated to her cause that the pamphlets handed out at her funeral included information about Juneteenth. The two were close — Lawson described Mills as his “second mother” — and though she won’t get to see her efforts come to fruition, he said he’s glad she got it done.

“I think she’s feeling pretty good right now,” he said. “Her spirit’s feeling pretty good.”