Governor Stein Proclaims Juneteenth

Juneteenth

2025

By The Governor Of The State Of North Carolina

A Proclamation

Whereas, Juneteenth is recognized as National Independence 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 acknowledge our history and the sacrifices that were made for freedom; 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 areas would be thenceforward and forever free, changing the nature of the Civil War; 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 win 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, in 2026, America will celebrate the 250^th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence marking the freedom of the United States, though not all Americans were truly free; and

Whereas, despite more than 150 years passing since the abolition of slavery, there remain economic, institutional, and social barriers for Black people in America; and

Whereas, on this anniversary each year, organizations and individuals throughout North Carolina and our nation celebrate African American history, heritage, culture, and freedom, with events and ceremonies that reflect the power of community, family, art, and tradition; and

Whereas, the State of North Carolina encourages people to observe Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect, rejoice, and work together toward a brighter future as we continue to address racial injustices in our society today;

Now, Therefore, I, Josh Stein, Governor of the State of North Carolina, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2025, as “Juneteenth” in North Carolina, and commend its observance to all citizens.

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 twenty-eighth day of May in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-fifth and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.