Title
To Honor, Recognize, and Celebrate June 19, 2022, as Juneteenth in the City of Columbus
Body
WHEREAS, Juneteenth, short for June Nineteenth, marks the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1865 to take control of the state and ensure all enslaved people be freed; their arrival came a full two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power, a day in which we remember the moral stain and America’s original sin, a long legacy of systemic racism, inequality, inequity and inhumanity, but it also reminds us of our incredible capacity to be resilient and heal, give and seek out hope, as well as emerge with purpose and resolve; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States; emphasizing education and achievement, it is a day, week, even a month of celebrations from cookouts, parades, musical performances and other public events; and
WHEREAS, there is no right or wrong way to celebrate Juneteenth; the first Juneteenth in 1865 was celebrated with food, singing, and the reading of spirituals, and it commemorated newly freed African American people taking pride in their progress; it is a time for reflection and rejoicing, as well as a time for assessment, self-improvement and planning for the future; and
WHEREAS, there has been a noticeable increase in Juneteenth celebrations across the United States over the past few years, with this year’s holiday coming just over a month after a white gunman killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, one of the deadliest racist massacres in recent U.S. history, Juneteenth celebrations will still resonate in new ways; acknowledging the original sentiment of racial division still existing in America and the work we must continue to strive for;
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS: That this Council recognizes and celebrates, June ...
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