Office of the Mayor
Proclamation
Lawrence, Kansas
WHEREAS: Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery, dating back to June 19, 1865, the day on which Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas with news that war had ended and that all slaves were now free, even though President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier; and
WHEREAS: Juneteenth has become a tradition of celebrations that began following the reading of the proclamation by General Gordon Granger in 1865 that lasted over one hundred years and today is hosted in cities across America; and
WHEREAS: Juneteenth has continued to be a highly revered event across the United States as a time for reassuring each other, for praying, for family members, and to honor the memory of all those who endured slavery and especially those who moved from slavery to freedom; and
WHEREAS: Juneteenth today celebrates African American freedom while also encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City of Lawrence, Kansas does hereby proclaim Saturday, June 13, 2015 as the
in Lawrence.
June 2, 2015