JUNETEENTH DAY
2024
BY THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
A PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is nationally recognized as National Freedom Day and has been celebrated annually since June 19, 1866 to mark the abolition of sanctioned slavery in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is about freedom, liberation, and celebration; it is a holiday for North Carolinians to come together and foster connections that empower and uplift the community; and
WHEREAS, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that as of January 1, 1863, all enslaved people in the rebellious states would be thenceforward and forever free; and
WHEREAS, in addition to freeing enslaved people held in Confederate States, the Emancipation Proclamation enabled the enlistment of African Americans in the Union Army as U.S. Colored Troops; and
WHEREAS, it took almost three more years of conflict and loss to bring about the end of the Civil War, and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in December 1865 to officially end slavery in the United States; and
WHEREAS, the news of freedom disseminated gradually throughout the nation; on June 19, 1865, two months after the official surrender of the Confederacy at Appomattox, Union Soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No. 3 announcing freedom to some of the last enslaved people 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, despite more than 150 years since the abolition of slavery, there 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 work toward a brighter future as we continue to address racial injustices in our society today; and
WHEREAS, the undersigned issued Executive Order 262 on June 6, 2022 to establish Personal Observance Leave, an additional day of leave that eligible state employees can use to observe Juneteenth or another day that is important to them;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, ROY COOPER, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2024, as “JUNETEENTH DAY” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.
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Roy Cooper
Governor
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina at the Capitol in Raleigh this thirteenth day of June in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-eighth.