Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-06-10 Proclamation--LCLOTIM111 IVMLIKOIJ N�- C l�r - • V PROCLAIMING JUNE 19T" AS JUNETEENTH WHEREAS, The first Juneteenth celebration was in 1866, a year after Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, with news that the war had ended in April and that the enslaved were now free; and WHEREAS, This announcement was two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863, "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be, free;" and WHEREAS, Juneteenth commemorates the determination of the people who were seized and brought to this country from Africa, and whose descendants were slaves for over 200 years before the horrific institution of slavery was abolished; and WHEREAS, Juneteenth commemorates that moment in time when the enslaved in Galveston, Texas, received word of their freedom. As an anonymous celebrant said, "We imagine the depth of their emotions, their jubilant dance and their fear of the unknown;" and WHEREAS, The City of Bangor believes it is important to recognize the historical significance of Juneteenth in order to advance racial equity, human dignity and justice; and WHEREAS, Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States and what many people consider to be America's 2nd Independence Day Observance, is now a federal and state holiday, and is also recognized by the City of Bangor; and WHEREAS, The City of Bangor acknowledges black Mainers are disproportionately impacted by poverty, which leads to higher rates of incarceration, food insecurity and negative health impacts, due to systemic racism; and WHEREAS, The City of Bangor affirms, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." NOW, THEREFORE, I, Cara Pelletier, Mayor of the City of Bangor, on behalf of the City Council and the citizens of Bangor, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2024, as Juneteenth to honor African American history and encourage all community members to reflect on how each of us can promote equality, liberty and justice for all people. Given this the 10th day of June, 2024. Cara Pelletier, Mayor