By Edwards                                             H.R. No. 624

         75R10797 BNL-D                           

                                 R E S O L U T I O N

 1-1           WHEREAS, For more than 100 years, Texans have celebrated June

 1-2     19 as Emancipation Day or "Juneteenth," for it was on that date in

 1-3     1865 that African-American slaves in this state finally gained the

 1-4     freedom nominally conferred on them by the Emancipation

 1-5     Proclamation; and

 1-6           WHEREAS, Although President Abraham Lincoln formally outlawed

 1-7     slavery on January 1, 1863, true emancipation was not achieved

 1-8     until the end of the Civil War, when Union troops brought

 1-9     enforcement of the doctrine to the states of the Confederacy; in

1-10     the years after General Gordon Granger delivered President

1-11     Lincoln's message to the Lone Star State, Juneteenth celebrations

1-12     became a vital part of African-American culture, and entire

1-13     communities began to commemorate June 19 and the pivotal role it

1-14     played in our state's history; and

1-15           WHEREAS, Recognizing the significance this date holds for all

1-16     Texans, the 66th Texas Legislature designated June 19 as an

1-17     official state holiday; today, the Juneteenth Emancipation

1-18     Association works to ensure that the holiday is given its proper

1-19     observance, and these efforts have earned association members the

1-20     respect and gratitude of their fellow Texans; and

1-21           WHEREAS, The Texas House of Representatives commends the

1-22     goals and objectives of the Juneteenth Emancipation Association and

1-23     welcomes the opportunity to provide a setting for its members'

1-24     activities; now, therefore, be it

 2-1           RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 75th Texas

 2-2     Legislature, in accordance with the rules and policies of the

 2-3     Committee on House Administration, hereby grant permission to the

 2-4     Juneteenth Emancipation Association to use the house chamber on

 2-5     Friday, June 6, 1997, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., provided that the

 2-6     house is not in session.