President Joe Biden, on Thursday, signed into law establishing June 19 as the Juneteenth National Independence Day, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.
Biden’s move is supported by the Longmont City Council, which is expected to approve a resolution this month marking the importance of Juneteenth in American history.
The resolution was originally read as a proclamation by Mayor Brian Bagley at a ceremony celebrating the raising of the Juneteenth flag at the Civic Center on Monday.
Bagley asked that the proclamation be read and adopted by the city council as a resolution at its next regular meeting, most likely June 29, said Sandi Seader, assistant city manager, in an email.
The proclamation says, in part, “that we recognize the historical significance of Juneteenth; support the continued celebration of Juneteenth to provide an opportunity for the people of the city of Longmont to learn more about the past to better understand the experiences that have shaped the nation and encourage the people of the city of Longmont to observe Juneteenth Day with appropriate ceremonies, activities and programs…”
“...The history and the plight of African Americans and all that was endured during chattel slavery, reconstruction, Jim Crow and the Civil RIghts Movement is an example of pure resilience,” the resolution states. ”As a governmental body, we oppose and reject any form of oppression and pledge to support our residents and local entities working to achieve equality and protect human rights.”
The proclamation states that on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger, arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were free; and that news of the end of slavery did not reach frontier areas of the United States more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of Jan. 1,1863.
.”...Juneteenth is an example of America’s commitment to liberty and June 19th is celebrated and recognizes the historical significance of the end of chattel slavery in the United States,” the proclamation states. It also notes that Juneteenth Day is beginning to be recognized by several local and state municipalities but not recognized on the federal level.
