HomeMy WebLinkAbout006 of 2026 - Joint Resolution Recognizing June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth Freedom Day in Salt Lake City'irsulu#iuu
JOIN' RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING
JUNETEENT_I FREEDOM DAY IN SALT LAKE CITY
WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation effective
January 1,1863, eclaring that all enslaved people in Confederate states free;
however, many enslavers in the South continued to ignore this order; and
WHEREAS, on June 19,1865, Vnion General Gordon Granger and Union soldiers, including
U.S. Colored Troo s arrived in Galveston, Texas, and issued General Order No.
3, officially enforc ng the emancipation of stolen Africans and some Indigenous
people still held in human bondage in Texas; and
WHEREAS, President Lincoln recognized in 1865 that "without the military help of the Black
freedmen, the war against the South could not have been won", and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is one (.)f the oldest celebrated commemorations of the end of slavery
in the United Statcs; first celebrated in Texas in 1866, established as a federal
holiday in 2021, aid recognized by the State of Utah in 2022; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth allows Salt Lake City to celebrate the heritage, resilience, and
contributions of Black Americans, honor their role in the struggle for justice,
equality, and freedom, and commit to doing our part to help build a
more equitable community; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth also recognizes America's commitment to liberty and equality, as
reflected in the Constitution of the United States, the
Emancipation Pro lamation, and the 13th Amendment to the Constitution,
ratified by Congre s on December 6,1865; and
WHEREAS, even after the abo 'tion of slavery, other systems of racial oppression —including
sharecropping, Jir7 Crow laws, redlining, and mass incarceration —continue to
harm Black communities and perpetuate systemic inequities in health, safety,
and education; an I
WHEREAS, honest acknowledvment of this history is essential to building a future rooted in
the core American values of freedom, diversity, equity, and justice for all; and
:. WHEREAS, both the federal g ernment and Utah now recognize Juneteenth as an official
holiday.
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b NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ,SOLVED,
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that the Salt Lake .ity Council and Mayor of Salt Lake City
recognize Juneteenth Freedom Day in Salt Lake City in celebration of the
F cultural, economic, and humanitarian role of emancipation and the work
toward that liberation in our past, present, an future.
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BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED,
that Salt Lake City reaffirms its commitment to freedom and dignity for
all people, and un(!quivocally opposes and rejects all forms of oppression and
injustice.
Adopted this 9th day of June 2026.
fir, LI,
Erin Mendenhall
Salt Lake City Mayor
Erika Carlsen, Vice Chair
Salt Lake City Council Member, District Five
Alejandro Puy, Chair
Salt Lake City Council Member, District Two
Victoria Petro
Salt Lake City Council Member, District One
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Chris Wharton Dan Dugan
Salt Lake City Council Member, District Three Salt Lake City Council Member, District Six
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Youngi ake City Council Member, District Seven