PROCLAMATION
RECOGNIZING JUNE 19, 2025 AS JUNETEENTH
IN THE CITY OF HERCULES
WHEREAS, on June 17, 2021, Juneteenth National Independence Day Act was signed by President Biden establishing Juneteenth as a federal holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States; is also known as Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Black Independence Day; and Juneteenth Independence Day; and WHEREAS, freedom from slavery was granted through the Emancipation Proclamation signed on January 1, 1863, by President Lincoln, it took another 2 ½ years and military intervention by General Gordon Granger and Union troops to arrive to Galveston, Texas, the farthest of the Confederate states, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation and release the last 250,000 slaves from bondage; and WHEREAS, Juneteenth symbolizes freedom and celebrates the abolishment of slavery, reminds Americans of the ongoing struggle for freedom and equality faced by Black Americans, and reminds us to address racial disparities and promote policies that foster true equality; and WHEREAS, Juneteenth celebrates the significant role and contributions that African Americans have played in the history and of the United States and how they have enriched and influenced society, culture, science, business, NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED that I, Dion Bailey, Mayor of the City of Hercules, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby recognize June 19, 2025, as Juneteenth, in the City of Hercules. I encourage all citizens to learn more about the history and impact of slavery and the significance of Juneteenth, attend Juneteenth celebrations, uplift Black-owned businesses, and support the ongoing social change efforts that promote unity, equality, racial and social justice.
In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and cause the seal of the City of Hercules to be affixed this 10th day of June 2025. ________________________________
Dion Bailey, Mayor