California Legislature—2015–16 Regular Session

House Resolution No. 55

Introduced by Assembly Member Thurmond

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Brown, Burke, Cooper, Gipson, Holden, Jones-Sawyer, McCarty, Ridley-Thomas, and Weber)

June 17, 2016

House Resolution No. 55—Relative to Juneteenth Day celebrations.

WHEREAS, The state of Texas is widely considered the first
state to begin Juneteenth celebrations. Informal observances have
taken place there for over a century and it has been an official state
holiday in Texas since 1980. Thirty-nine states, including
California since 2003, and the District of Columbia have
recognized Juneteenth as either a state holiday or a state holiday
observance; and

WHEREAS, Though President Abraham Lincoln issued the
Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, to become
effective January 1, 1863, it had minimal immediate effect on most
slaves’ day-to-day lives, particularly in the Confederate States of
America; and

WHEREAS, Texas, as a part of the Confederacy, was resistant
to the Emancipation Proclamation. But on June 18, 1865, Union
troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take possession of the state
and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. Former slaves in
Galveston rejoiced in the streets with jubilant celebrations. The
following day, June 19th, became known as “Juneteenth,” a name
derived from a portmanteau of the words “June” and “nineteenth.”
Juneteenth celebrations began in Texas the following year; and

WHEREAS, For former slaves, the Juneteenth celebration was
a time for reassuring each other, praying, and gathering remaining
family members together. Juneteenth continued to be highly
revered in Texas decades later, with many former slaves and
descendants making an annual pilgrimage back to Galveston on
this date; and

WHEREAS, Juneteenth education and celebrations declined in
America in the early part of the 20th century. But the Civil Rights
Movement of the 1950s and 1960s saw a resurgence of interest in
Juneteenth, along with renewed community celebrations of the
day; and

WHEREAS, On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official
state holiday in Texas through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African
American former member of the Texas House of Representatives.
That bill marked Juneteenth as the first emancipation celebration
granted official state recognition. Representative Edwards has
since actively sought to spread the observance of Juneteenth all
across America; and

WHEREAS, In 1994, the era of the “Modern Juneteenth
Movement” began when a group of Juneteenth leaders from across
the country gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana, to work for greater
national recognition of Juneteenth; and

WHEREAS, Today, Juneteenth commemorates African
American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.
It is a day, a week, and in some areas, a month marked with
celebrations, guest speakers, picnics, and family gatherings. It is
a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment,
self-improvement, and planning for the future; now, therefore, be
it

Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the
Assembly encourages all Californians to join together in celebrating
Juneteenth; and be it further

Resolved, That the Assembly and the People of the State of
California recognize that the “Modern Juneteenth Movement”
continues to work to pass legislation in the United States Congress
to establish Juneteenth Independence Day as a National Day of
Observance; and be it further

Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies
of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.