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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Residents of Galveston are gathering on June 18, |
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2025, to mark the 160th anniversary of Juneteenth; and |
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WHEREAS, Sponsored by the City of Galveston and the |
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Juneteenth 160th Commemorative Celebration Committee, the event |
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pays tribute to this special anniversary milestone in the city |
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where Juneteenth began; and |
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WHEREAS, On June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham |
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Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation, General Gordon |
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Granger arrived with his troops at Galveston to issue General Order |
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No. 3, which stated that "The people of Texas are informed |
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that . . . all slaves are free"; the long-delayed news traveled |
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throughout the state and was received with jubilation by the |
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approximately 250,000 Texans who had been released from bondage; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The annual emancipation celebrations on June 19 |
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became known as Juneteenth, and the event grew in popularity and |
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later spread to other parts of the country; in 1979, Texas became |
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the first state to make Juneteenth an official state holiday, and a |
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federal holiday, Juneteenth National Independence Day, was |
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established in 2021; through the years, Galveston has remained an |
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important center for the observance due to the city's historical |
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role in the events of 1865 and the vibrant festivities that mark the |
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occasion; and |
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WHEREAS, In this 160th anniversary year, the Texas |
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Legislature passed two important bills related to Juneteenth; House |
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Concurrent Resolution 6 designates Galveston as the official |
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Juneteenth Capital of Texas, while House Bill 554 amends state law |
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to permit retail sale of fireworks on and immediately before the |
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holiday; and |
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WHEREAS, For 160 years, Juneteenth has provided a joyous |
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opportunity to reaffirm allegiance to the fundamental principles of |
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freedom and equality, and in 2025, the residents of Galveston have |
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the honor of marking this occasion in the official Juneteenth |
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Capital of Texas; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 89th Texas |
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Legislature hereby commemorate the 160th anniversary of the first |
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Juneteenth celebration and extend sincere best wishes to the people |
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of Galveston as they observe the holiday. |