Title
To honor and recognize the 151st Anniversary of Juneteenth.
Body
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19th as the date when slaves in America were freed; and
WHEREAS, two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the rumors of freedom were widespread; and
WHEREAS, emancipation had not reached all Americans until Major General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3; and
WHEREAS, General Order No. 3 proclaimed “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 free laborer;" and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth symbolizes the end of slavery throughout the United States of America; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth honors those African American ancestors who survived the inhumane institution of bondage, as well as demonstrating pride in the marvelous legacy of resistance and perseverance they left us; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
We honor and recognize the legacy of Juneteenth as a day of commemoration where African Americans throughout the country remember the day that the human spirit triumphed over the cruelty of slavery, and independence was available to all Americans.