City National Bank Will Close Early to Commemorate Juneteenth

LOS ANGELES — City National Bank, America’s Premier Private and Business Bank®, today announced that it will be closing operations early on Friday, June 19, in observance of Juneteenth.

“The Juneteenth holiday serves as an important reminder of the hard work that remains to be done to ensure true equality for African Americans and all people of color” said City National Bank Chief Executive Officer Kelly Coffey. “It takes on added significance in light of recent events. Change is sometimes slow and often difficult, but we must end the longstanding pain that too many of our citizens have endured for far too long. The Juneteenth holiday provides us all with an opportunity to pause and reflect on the work we have to do.”

This year marks the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth (“June” plus “nineteenth”), the annual commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the U.S. On June 19, 1865, two months after the end of the Civil War and two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union forces entered Galveston, Texas, and General Gordon Granger issued an order notifying Texans that “all slaves are free.” The holiday gained national attention in 1968 when civil rights leaders, including Coretta Scott King and Dr. Martin Luther King’s associate Ralph Abernathy, called for its celebration after the assassination of Dr. King. Over the years, Juneteenth has evolved as a celebration of African American freedom and achievements recognized throughout the U.S. and the world.

City National will close its operations nationally at noon local time. The bank recommends that clients needing support on June 19 plan transactions for earlier in the day, as well as continue to leverage the bank’s digital banking tools and resources.

This news comes on the heels of City National’s announcement earlier this week that it would donate up to $400,000, including colleague donations and company matching funds, to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Equal Justice Initiative to support the fight for social and racial justice in America.