Dated: June 11, 2025
IN RECOGNITION OF JUNETEENTH AS
NATIONAL FREEDOM DAY: A DAY OF OBSERVANCE
WHEREAS, 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; and
WHEREAS, The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln, had legally freed slaves in Texas on January 1, 1863, almost 2 ½ years earlier. Even after the general order, some slave masters withheld the information from their slaves, holding them as slaves through one more harvest season; and
WHEREAS, as word spread about Granger’s announcement, celebrations broke out across the state. Juneteenth (short for “June Nineteenth”) commemorates this day, which marked the effective end of slavery in the United States; and
WHEREAS, that December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment; and
WHEREAS, in the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemoration features music, barbeques, prayer services and other activities, and as black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread; and WHEREAS, the thousands of African Americans who journeyed out of the south and settled in the San Francisco Bay Area, taught our state that American’s struggle for independence did not end in 1776 or 1865, but continues to this day; and WHEREAS, on Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, 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.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of South San Francisco declare June 19, 2025, as a city holiday and urge all South San Franciscans to honor and reflect on the significant role that African Americans have played in the history of the United States and how they have enriched society through their steadfast commitment to promoting unity and equality.
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Eddie Flores, Mayor
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Mark Addiego, Vice Mayor
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James Coleman, Councilmember
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Mark Nagales, Councilmember
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Buenaflor Nicolas, Councilmember