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Juneteenth <br />June 19, 2025 <br />Whereas: On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation <br />Proclamation, which established that all enslaved people in Confederate states were set <br />free; and <br />Whereas:Many slave owners in the state of Texas did not release their slaves; and on June <br />19th, 1865, General Gordan Grainger and his troops entered Galveston, Texas, after the <br />surrender of General Robert E. Lee in Appomattox, Virginia. Upon General Grainger’s arrival <br />on Texas soil, he issued Generals Order No. 3; and <br />Whereas:This order officially declared the immediate release and freedom of the <br />remainder of slaves located in Texas; and slaves that were forcefully held captive for almost <br />three years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued were finally pronounced freemen <br />and freewomen; and <br />Whereas:In 1866, Black freedmen organized the first celebration of "Jubilee Day" on <br />June 19, featuring music, ethnic cuisines, prayer services, and other activities; and June 19 is <br />now recognized as a ceremonial holiday in forty-seven states, with Texas being the first to <br />declare Juneteenth a state holiday in 1980; and <br />Whereas:Juneteenth is a day of committed reflection and recognizes that – across people <br />and nations – historic, ongoing, structurally imbedded and government-sanctioned racial <br />discrimination has perpetuated its impacts upon all our generations, including to this very day; <br />and <br />Whereas:The City of Roseville and its leadership strive to be intentional and accountable <br />to identify solutions to undo the harm of the legacy of racial discrimination and slavery; and <br />Whereas:In June of 2017, Do Good Roseville gathered volunteers (driven by the vision <br />of creating a welcoming environment for the black community in Roseville) at Lexington <br />Park in recognition of Juneteenth to be in community with each other and to honor and <br />celebrate black culture, beginning a new Juneteenth tradition in Roseville; and <br />Whereas:On November 7, 2022, the Roseville City Council declared June 19 an official <br />City-recognized holiday, and on February 3, 2023 Juneteenth officially became a State <br />holiday in Minnesota; and <br />Qbhf!4!pg!385 <br /> <br />