CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
Proclamation
A PROCLAMATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL RECOGNIZING JUNE 19TH, 2023 AS JUNETEENTH NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY WHEREAS, On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act legislation to establish Juneteenth (June 19th) as a federal holiday (1); and WHEREAS, More than two years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, Union General Gordon Granger and his troops landed at Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865 with news that the Civil War and slavery had ended; and
WHEREAS, June 19th was coined "Juneteenth", and became a time of joyous celebrations for Black Americans; and yet slavery did not end on that day for many people (2); and WHEREAS, Juneteenth celebrations are a time to recognize the ongoing fight for human rights and equality for Black Americans and are commemorated through family cookouts, faith services, music, storytelling, and the color red as a symbol of resilience (3); and WHEREAS, since 2003, the State of California has celebrated Juneteenth “as a day to honor and reflect on the significant contributions of Black Americans to our nation.”(4); and WHEREAS, President Biden called “upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of Black Americans, and commit together to eradicate systemic racism that still undermines our founding ideals and collective prosperity.”; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT PROCLAIMED, the City Council of the City of Sebastopol hereby recognize June 19th, 2023 as Juneteenth National Independence Day.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and the Great Seal of the City of Sebastopol this 6th day of June, 2023.
----------------------------------------------------------- Neysa Hinton, Mayor
(1) A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance 2021 https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/ presidential-actions/2021/06/18/a-proclamation-on-juneteenth-day-of-observance-2021/ (2) Slavery Didn't End On Juneteenth. What You Should Know About This Important Day NPR 2021 https:// www.npr.org/2021/06/17/1007315228/juneteenth-what-is-origin-observation (3) National Museum of African American History & Culture Juneteenth https://nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth https:// nmaahc.si.edu/juneteenth-digital-toolkit
(4) Governor Gavin Newsom Juneteenth Proclamation https://www.gov.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/ 2021/06/2021-Juneteenth-proclamation.pdf
JUNE 18, 2021
A Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance, 2021
On June 19, 1865 — nearly nine decades after our Nation’s founding, and more than 2 years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free from bondage. As those who were formerly enslaved were recognized for the first time as citizens, Black Americans came to commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations across the country, building new lives and a new tradition that we honor today. In its celebration of freedom, Juneteenth is a day that should be recognized by all Americans. And that is why I am proud to have consecrated Juneteenth as our newest national holiday.
Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power.
A day in which we remember the moral stain and terrible toll of slavery on our country –- what I’ve long called America’s original sin. A long legacy of systemic racism, inequality, and inhumanity.
But it is a day that also reminds us of our incredible capacity to heal, hope, and emerge from our darkest moments with purpose and resolve.
As I said on the 100th Anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, great nations don’t ignore the most painful chapters of their past. Great nations confront them. We come to terms with them.
On Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice. And, we celebrate the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us to this time of progress and possibility. That work has been led throughout our history by abolitionists and educators, civil rights advocates and lawyers, courageous activists and trade unionists, public officials, and everyday Americans who have helped make real the ideals of our founding documents for all.
There is still more work to do. As we emerge from the long, dark winter of the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, racial equity remains at the heart of our efforts to vaccinate the Nation and beat the virus. We must recognize that Black Americans, among other people of color, have shouldered a disproportionate burden of loss — while also carrying us through disproportionately as essential workers and health care providers on the front lines of the crisis.
Psalm 30 proclaims that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Juneteenth marks both the long, hard night of slavery and discrimination, and the promise of a brighter morning to come. My Administration is committed to building an economy — and a Nation — that brings everyone along, and finally delivers our Nation’s founding promise to Black Americans. Together, we will lay the roots of real and lasting justice, so that we can become the extraordinary country that was promised to all Americans.
Juneteenth not only commemorates the past. It calls us to action today.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2021, as Juneteenth Day of Observance. I call upon the people of the United States to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of Black Americans, and commit together to eradicate systemic racism that still undermines our founding ideals and collective prosperity.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this eighteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-fifth.
JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR.
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Slavery Didn't End On Juneteenth. What You Should Know
About This Important Day
June 17, 2021 · 6:00 AM ET
By Sharon Pruitt-Young
Emancipation Day is celebrated in 1905 in Richmond, Va., the onetime capital of the Confederacy.
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It goes by many names. Whether you call it Emancipation Day, Freedom Day or the country's second Independence Day, Juneteenth is one of the most important anniversaries in our nation's history.
On June 19, 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who had fought for the Union, led a force of soldiers to Galveston, Texas, to deliver a very important message: The war was finally over, the Union had won, and it now had the manpower to enforce the end of slavery.
The announcement came two months after the effective conclusion of the Civil War, and even longer since President Abraham Lincoln had first signed the Emancipation Proclamation, but many enslaved Black people in Texas still weren't free, even after that day.
That was 156 years ago. Here are the basics of Juneteenth that everyone should know.
What Juneteenth represents
First things first: Juneteenth gets its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth," the day that Granger arrived in Galveston, bearing a message of freedom for the slaves there.
Upon his arrival, he read out General Order No. 3, informing the residents that slavery would no longer be tolerated and that all slaves were now free and would henceforth be treated as hired workers if they chose to remain on the plantations, according to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
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General Order No. 3 was the final execution and fulfillment of the terms of the Emancipation Proclamation. The people to whom this order was addressed were the last group of Americans to be informed that all formerly enslaved persons were now free.
National Archives
"The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired laborer," the order reads, in part.
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It's perhaps unsurprising that many former slaves did not stay on the plantations as workers and instead left in search of new beginnings or to find family members who had been sold away.
"It immediately changed the game for 250,000 people," Shane Bolles Walsh, a lecturer with the University of Maryland's African American Studies Department, told NPR.
Enslaved Black people, now free, had ample cause to celebrate. As Felix Haywood, a former slave, recalled: "Everybody went wild. We all felt like heroes ... just like that, we were free."
Slavery did not end on Juneteenth
When Granger arrived in Galveston, there still existed around 250,000 slaves and they were not all freed immediately, or even soon. It was not uncommon for slave owners, unwilling to give up free labor, to refuse to release their slaves until forced to, in person, by a representative of the government, historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. wrote.
Some would wait until one final harvest was complete, and some would just outright refuse to submit. It was a perilous time for Black people, and some former slaves who were freed or attempted to get free were attacked and killed.
For Confederate states like Texas, even before Juneteenth, there existed a "desire to hold on to that system as long as they could," Walsh explained to NPR.
Before the reading of General Order No. 3, many slave owners in Confederate states simply chose not to tell their slaves about the Emancipation Proclamation and did not honor it. They got away with it because, before winning the war, Union soldiers were largely unable to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation in Southern states. Still, even though slavery in the States was not abolished until the ratification of the 13th Amendment, the Emancipation Proclamation still played a pivotal role in that process, historian Lonnie Bunch told NPR in 2013. (And the amendment did not extend to tribal lands.)
"What the Emancipation Proclamation does that's so important is it begins a creeping process of emancipation where the federal government is now finally taking firm stands to say slavery is wrong and it must end," Bunch said.
People have celebrated Juneteenth any way they can
After they were freed, some former slaves and their descendants would travel to Galveston annually in honor of Juneteenth. That tradition soon spread to other states, but it wasn't uncommon for white people to bar Black people from celebrating in public spaces, forcing Black people to get creative. In one such case, Black community leaders in Houston saved $1,000 to purchase land in 1872 that would be devoted specifically to Juneteenth celebrations, according to the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. That land became Emancipation Park, a name that it still bears.
Juneteenth is celebrated in Houston's Emancipation Park, which was created specifically for such celebrations, in 1880.
Wikimedia Commons
" 'If you want to commemorate something, you literally have to buy land to commemorate it on' is, I think, just a really potent example of the long-lasting reality of white supremacy," Walsh said.
Nevertheless, Black Americans found a way to continue to celebrate and lift one another up. Early on, Juneteenth celebrations often involved helping newly freed Black folks learn about their voting rights, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Rodeos and horseback riding were also common. Now, Juneteenth celebrations commonly involve cookouts, parades, church services, musical performances and other public events, Walsh explained.
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People celebrate last year's Juneteenth by riding horses through Washington Park in Chicago. This year, it is a federal holiday.
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It's a day to "commemorate the hardships endured by ancestors," Walsh said. He added, "It really exemplifies the survival instinct, the ways that we as a community really make something out of nothing. ... It's about empowerment and hopefulness." And there's reason to be hopeful. After literal decades of activists campaigning for change, Congress has approved Juneteenth as a federal holiday.
Clarification
July 14, 2022
The 13th Amendment did not include Native American lands under tribal autonomy, where later treaties would negotiate the end of slavery there.
Corrected previously on June 19, 2021: A previous version of this story incorrectly said that Black community leaders bought the land for Emancipation Park in Houston in 1867. The land was purchased and park established in 1872.
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Photos: Americans Celebrate Juneteenth After It Becomes A National Holiday On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas with the news that the more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were free.
This day came to be known as Juneteenth, now officially a federal holiday.
Juneteenth is a time to celebrate, gather as a family, reflect on the past and look to the future.
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Senses of Freedom: The Taste, Sound, and Experience of an African American Celebration Juneteenth and the Color Red
Enjoy the Taste, Sound and Experience of Juneteenth
Juneteenth celebrates African American resilience and achievement, while aiding in the preservation of those historical narratives that promoted racial and personal advancement since Freedom Day. Join the museum’s Juneteenth festivities – spanning the entire month of June – and embrace the rich history of Freedom Day each week.
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The Juneteenth 2023 Red List Notebook is among Juneteenth commemorative collection available in the museum store.
Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture Each year when my family celebrates Juneteenth, our flyers boldly request that each quest bring something "Red." We then add examples, like red soda pop, watermelon, apples, or even red beans. Folks bring these items without much thinking about their origin. In fact, the roots of the symbolic efficacy of the color red can be traced to West Africa, where it has been associated with strength, spirituality, life, and death. Furthermore, culinary historians, trace the color to certain foods that traveled to the Americas along with the Africans during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, such as hibiscus and the kola nut.
So, this year at Juneteenth, as you take a long swallow from a cool drink of hibiscus iced tea, or red punch, remember the ancestors who sacrificed, remember the blood shed in the struggle, remember the collective strength of people of the African diaspora, and finally remember the spirituality and transcendent joy that enabled us to overcome. ~ Kelly Navies, museum specialist and oral historian
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Juneteenth: A Time of Celebration, Reflection
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Press Play on History: Juneteenth
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Juneteenth: Connecting the Historic to the Now
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As you celebrate Juneteenth this year, the museum offers additional resources to help you embrace the rich history of Freedom Day.
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Juneteenth: Cause for Celebration
This 1925 film, recorded by the Rev. Solomon Sir Jones, captures a Juneteenth celebration in Beaumont, Texas. Learn more about Reconstruction, rights and retaliation by visiting our Searchable Museum.
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Juneteenth Discussion with Kelly Navies
NMAAHC Oral History Specialist Kelly Navies talks about the history of Juneteenth.
Juneteenth Reading List
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A IS FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE A
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Facts About Juneteenth
The National Museum of African American History and Culture’s curator of women’s history Angela Tate and museum specialist and oral historian Kelly Navies provide history and insight on Juneteenth.
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PROCLAMATION
Juneteenth commemorates an extraordinary moment in our nation’s history.
On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger led troops into Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and the insidious institution of slavery. Thousands of enslaved people in Texas – among the last to learn of their liberation – tasted hard-won freedom for the first time.
The joyous commemorations that began in Texas spread around the nation, with cities and communities in California joining in celebration of this milestone in the ongoing American journey toward freedom for all. Since 2003, the State of California has celebrated Juneteenth as a day to honor and reflect on the significant contributions of Black Americans to our nation.
California’s Black and African American communities have made countless contributions to the state throughout our history. Furthermore, many served on the front lines as essential workers throughout this past year.
I thank you all for your incredible sacrifice. However, we must recognize that the pandemic magnified so many of the existing inequalities faced by communities of color. As we roar back from this pandemic, we continue the work to level out the playing field for ALL Californians, despite color or creed.
Today, I urge all Californians to reflect on the ongoing cause of freedom for Black Americans – remembering that, though General Granger’s announcement in 1865 called for “absolute equality,” that vision was, and remains, far from complete. This year, we are proud to raise the Juneteenth flag over the California State Capitol, which will be lit in the pan-African colors of red, black and green – representing the African diaspora to enslavement in the New World. As we honor Juneteenth, let us all redouble our commitment to use our power to stamp out racism in our communities and institutions and help secure freedom for all.
NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2021, as “Juneteenth National Freedom Day:
A Day of Observance.”
IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto
set my hand and caused the Great
Seal of the State of California to be
affixed this 18th day of June 2021.
GAVIN NEWSOM
Governor of California
ATTEST:
SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
Secretary of State