HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026 Juneteenth Independence Day Proclamation
Proclamation
WHEREAS, America’s Independence Day Movement, initiated by the Declaration of
Independence and the 4th of July, 1776, did not include enslaved African
Americans as they were not recognized as full human beings. Freedom
from slavery was initiated by the enforcement of the Emancipation
Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and formally announced by Union
General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas on the 19th of June, 1865,
through the reading of General Order No. 3 to the last group of slaves in
bondage, creating America’s 2nd Independence Day Celebration,
Juneteenth Independence Day, observed on the 19th of June as the oldest
African-American holiday; and
WHEREAS, the 19th of June is the freedom forerunner to the 13th Amendment, which
implemented freedom for all slaves in the United States, Juneteenth
Independence Day completes the cycle of Independence Day Celebrations
in America. In 1997, the 105th Congress of the United States passed Senate
Joint Resolution 11 and House Joint Resolution 56 officially recognizing
Juneteenth Independence Day in America; and
WHEREAS, the Juneteenth celebration commemorates the emancipation of Southern
slaves (Blacks) on June 19, 1865, two and a half years after the signing of
the Emancipation Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln. The memory of all
those who moved from slavery to freedom remains a lesson for all
Americans regardless of their background, race, or religion; and
WHEREAS, the Florida legislature issued an apology on March 26, 2008, expressing
profound regret for the shameful history of enslaving black people and
passing laws that sanctioned involuntary servitude upon generations of
African slaves; and
WHEREAS, on June 18, 2021, President Joe Biden signed into law a bill creating a
federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF OCOEE, does
hereby proclaim June 19, 2026, as:
Juneteenth Independence Day
for all Americans as a time to learn more about our common past and to better understand the
experiences that have shaped our Nation.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand
and caused the Seal of the City of Ocoee, Florida to be
affixed this 16th day of June, 2026.
Rusty Johnson, Mayor