WHEREAS, Juneteenth recognizes and commemorates the day of June 19, 1865, when enslaved Black Americans in Texas were informed by Major General Gordon Granger that they were "free," ending 246 years of chattel slavery; and

WHEREAS, slavery throughout the United States had been abolished some two and a half years earlier when President Abraham Lincoln enacted the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, but resistance to the Executive Order, as well as continued fighting in the state of Texas regarding the abolishment of slavery significantly delayed the freedom of those enslaved; and

WHEREAS, on June 19, 1866, one year after Major Granger's announcement, the freed Black community in the state of Texas held the first "Juneteenth," or African American Independence Day celebration, and Juneteenth celebrations would later spread to all corners of the country, including here in Seattle; and

WHEREAS, Seattle's Black communities have celebrated and commemorated this important day for decades; and

WHEREAS, the enduring legacy of the diverse coalitions of leaders and community members who fought and resisted against inequality and racism to secure rights we now must protect and expand upon remains paramount; and

WHEREAS, the struggle to achieve total freedom for the Black community continues; and

WHEREAS, there are still many vestiges of slavery that nonetheless persist and we as a city, and country, have a long way to go until we reach full economic and social equity, and an end to racism in all forms; and

WHEREAS, the City of Seattle acknowledges both the progress achieved through the excellence, perseverance, integrity, and courage of activists throughout our city and country, and the need to recommit ourselves to the unfinished work of achieving true racial equity; NOW, THEREFORE,

THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL PROCLAIMS June 19, 2025 TO BE A CELEBRATION OF

Juneteenth

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Council President Sara Nelson Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth

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Councilmember Robert E. Kettle Councilmember Cathy Moore

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Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck Councilmember Maritza Rivera

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Councilmember Rob Saka Councilmember Mark Solomon

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Councilmember Dan Strauss