Proclamation
Juneteenth National Freedom Day
Whereas, while the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 formally ended slavery, this abhorrent practice continued in areas still under Confederate control until the Civil War ended on April 9, 1865. More than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued —on June 19, or Juneteenth, 1865 — Union soldiers dispatched by President Abraham Lincoln arrived in Galveston, Texas to announce the emancipation of more than 250,000 African Americans still enslaved in that state. Juneteenth commemorates this important day; and
Whereas, in 2021, President Joe Biden officially designated Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and in 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom officially designated Juneteenth as a state holiday; Juneteenth is also recognized as an official holiday in the City of Alameda; and
Whereas, the celebration of Juneteenth serves as a poignant reminder of freedom and justice that were long overdue, and also, of the challenges African Americans continue to face in America — including disparities in education, employment, housing, healthcare, and access to voting, and disproportionate arrest and incarceration rates — and of how much further we, as a nation still must go to live up to the values and ideals this country was founded upon; and
Now, therefore, be it resolved, that I, Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft, Mayor of the City of Alameda, on behalf of the Alameda City Council, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2023, as
Juneteenth National Freedom Day
in the City of Alameda and call on all Alamedans to reaffirm our commitment to fighting racism in our community and our institutions, to ensure freedom and justice for all.
Marilyn Ezzy Ashcraft
Mayor