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L Louisville <br />COLORADO • SINCE 1878 <br />A PROCLAMATION OBSERVING JUNETEENTH NATIONAL INDEPENDENCE DAY <br />WHEREAS, Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the emancipation of enslaved Black <br />Americans, and is so named after the events that took place on June 19, 1865 in <br />Galveston, Texas; and <br />WHEREAS, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, <br />informed enslaved people in Galveston, Texas of their freedom and that the Civil War <br />had ended <br />WHEREAS, news of the end of slavery did not reach frontier areas of the United States <br />for more than two years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of January <br />1, 1863, and months after the conclusion of the Civil War; and <br />WHEREAS, Juneteenth, also known as "Juneteenth Independence Day", "Freedom <br />Day", or "Emancipation Day" is an example of America's commitment to liberty and is <br />celebrated and remembered as the end of chattel slavery in the United States; and <br />WHEREAS, many Black Americans continue the tradition of celebrating Juneteenth as <br />inspiration, and for more than 155 years, Juneteenth Day offers pause for joy, <br />happiness, and nourishment for the community; and <br />WHEREAS, Juneteenth reminds us of Black resiliency, struggle, and hope and <br />encourages future generations to continue the ongoing fight for freedom, equality, and <br />dignity; and <br />WHEREAS, Opal Lee, also known as the "Grandmother of Juneteenth," walked two and <br />a half miles each day from her home in Fort Worth, Texas to Washington D.C. in an <br />effort to get Congress to adopt and make Juneteenth the 11th federal holiday in 2021 <br />and was a monumental achievement; and <br />WHEREAS, on June 17, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden signed the Juneteenth <br />National Independence Day Act, which officially recognized Juneteenth Day of <br />Observance making June 19 a federal holiday; and <br />WHEREAS, on May 2, 2022, Colorado Governor Jared Polis signed a bill establishing <br />Juneteenth an official Colorado state holiday: <br />