WHEREAS, on January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all enslaved people in the rebellious states would be then, thenceforward, and forever free; and
WHEREAS, in addition to freeing enslaved people held in Confederate states, the Emancipation Proclamation allowed the participation of Black soldiers in the war and declared that the government of the United States will “recognize and maintain the freedom of such persons, and will do no act or acts to repress such persons, or any of them, in any efforts they may make for their actual freedom”; and
WHEREAS, it took almost three more years of conflict and loss to bring about the end of the Civil War and in December 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was nationally ratified, ending the sanctioned institution of slavery; and
WHEREAS, the news of freedom disseminated gradually throughout the nation; two months after the official surrender of the Confederacy at Appomattox, on June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order No. 3 announcing freedom to some of the last enslaved people in America, the culmination of years of Black activism and abolitionism that had fought to end the cruel institution of slavery; and
WHEREAS, June 19, or Juneteenth, sometimes referred to as National Freedom Day, Emancipation Day, or Juneteenth Independence Day, became a day of celebration and the oldest known commemoration of the abolition of sanctioned slavery in the United States; and
WHEREAS, on this anniversary each year, organizations and individuals throughout North Carolina and our nation celebrate African American heritage, history, freedom, and culture with events and ceremonies that reflect the power of community, family, art, and tradition in the face of oppression; and
WHEREAS, over time, Juneteenth celebrations have grown in popularity, leading many institutions to examine and evaluate their own observance of the history of racism and slavery in America; many state and local governments have passed legislation to honor Juneteenth as a holiday, an effort being pushed at the national level as well; in North Carolina, Governor Beverly Perdue was the first Governor to proclaim the observance of Juneteenth, a tradition that Governor Roy Cooper has proudly continued; and
WHEREAS, despite more than 150 years of progress since the abolition of slavery and the proclamation that the United States government shall “do no act or acts to repress such persons,” there still remain economic, institutional, and social barriers for Black people in America; and
WHEREAS, the State of North Carolina encourages people to observe Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect, rejoice, and plan for a brighter future as we continue to address racial injustices in our society today;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2021, as “JUNETEENTH DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.