WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation effective January 1, 1863, decreeing all people held as slaves be “henceforward” free, however, some southern enslavers ignored that order; and

WHEREAS, Union General Gordon Granger was dispatched to Galveston, Texas to announce the surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and on June 19, 1865 enforced the president’s 1863 order freeing the people still held in human bondage in the State of Texas, two and a half years after it was first decreed; and

WHEREAS, June 19th has since come to be known as Juneteenth and is one of the oldest celebrations in America growing out of the experiences of Black Americans and their enslaved ancestors and is a celebration of the ending of chattel slavery in America with the first “official” Juneteenth celebration taking place in Texas in 1866; and

WHEREAS, Juneteenth provides an opportunity for the City to celebrate Black American heritage and honor the lives, sacrifices and contributions that are woven into the American fabric; and

WHEREAS, Juneteenth also acknowledges America’s commitment to liberty and equality in accordance with the Constitution of the United States, along with the Emancipation Proclamation, and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution which abolished slavery, ratified by Congress on December 6, 1865; and

WHEREAS, through other systems of oppression, such as sharecropping, Jim Crow, redlining, and mass incarceration, the plunder of Black bodies and Black wealth continued past slavery and persists to this day, disproportionately affecting the physical and mental health, safety, and education of Black Americans; and

WHEREAS, the candid acknowledgment of this history is necessary if we, as a nation, state, or city, are successful in our effort to build a truly equitable community that exemplifies and promotes the fundamental American values of freedom, diversity, equality, liberty, and justice; and

WHEREAS, the State of Utah recognizes Juneteenth Freedom Day, on the third Saturday in June.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,

that Salt Lake City Council and Mayor recognize June 19, 2021 as Juneteenth Freedom Day in Salt Lake City in celebration of the culturally important role of emancipation and the work toward that liberation in our past, present, and future.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,

that Salt Lake City emphasizes the freedom and dignity of every human being and opposes and rejects any form of oppression.

To view an electronic copy of the signed resolution, click here.