Title
Special Recognition - Proclamation Recognizing Juneteenth
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Proclaim June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth.
Report
Issue:
Whether to proclaim June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth.
Staff Contact:
Olivia Salazar de Breaux, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Specialist, Parks, Arts and Recreation Department, 360.753.8343
Presenter(s):
Shawna Hawk, Executive Director and Founder, Women of Color in Leadership Movement
Background and Analysis:
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to those enslaved in Galveston, Texas - two months after the Confederacy had surrendered and about 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed the enslaved in the Southern states.
On June 17, 2021 President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, creating a Federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth. Shortly thereafter, Governor Jay Inslee declared Juneteenth a Washington State Holiday.
On June 19, 2021, the City of Olympia partnered with the Women of Color in Leadership Movement, Media Island International, and the Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African Culture to host the first annual Juneteenth Celebration. The City, its employees, elected officials, community members, and visitors enthusiastically participated.
This year the City is pleased to partner again with the Women of Color in Leadership Movement to host the second annual Juneteenth Celebration Festival on June 19, 2022 at the Rebecca Howard Park.
Attachments:
Proclamation