HOUSE RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING JUNETEENTH NATIONAL FREEDOM DAY ON JUNE 19, 2026, the official text

H8630 2026 -- H 8630 ======== LC006119 ======== STATE OF RHODE ISLAND IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026 ____________ H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N RECOGNIZING JUNETEENTH NATIONAL FREEDOM DAY ON JUNE 19, 2026 Introduced By: Representatives Biah, Blazejewski, Kazarian, Chippendale, Hopkins, Santucci, Handy, Ajello, Furtado, and Kislak Date Introduced: June 11, 2026 Referred To: House read and passed 1 WHEREAS, Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, in celebration 2 of the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in America. The tradition of marking the end 3 of slavery with Emancipation Day celebrations had an earlier beginning in South Carolina on 4 January 1, 1863, in recognition of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Even earlier 5 celebrations of emancipation date back to when slavery was abolished throughout the British 6 Empire on August 1, 1834; and 7 WHEREAS, Each year after 1834, on August 1, major emancipation celebrations were 8 organized across the West Indies and American cities with free African heritage populations. The 9 Rhode Island cities of Providence, Newport and East Providence were early sites for major 10 Emancipation Day celebrations and festivals dating back to the 1850s. During the 20th century, 11 tens of thousands of people attended Emancipation Day events at Roger Williams Park, Rocky 12 Point, and Crescent Park; and 13 WHEREAS, Juneteenth is part of a number of emancipation celebrations that date back 14 to the early 19th century, and on June 13th, 2023, the Rhode Island General Assembly passed 15 legislation, which was signed into law on June 19th, declaring Juneteenth National Freedom 16 Day to officially be a State Holiday; and 17 WHEREAS, Also known as Emancipation Day, Emancipation Celebration, Freedom 18 Day, Jun-Jun, and Juneteenth, Juneteenth National Freedom Day commemorates the strong 19 survival instinct of African Americans who were first brought to this country stacked in the 20 bottom of slave ships in a month-long journey across the Atlantic Ocean known as the Middle 1 Passage; and 2 WHEREAS, Approximately eleven and a half million Africans survived the voyage to 3 the New World, with the number that died likely greater, and those who did survive were 4 subjected to whipping, castration, branding, and rape, and were forced to submit to slavery for 5 more than two hundred years after their arrival in the United States; and 6 WHEREAS, Events in the history of the United States that led to the Civil War of 1861 7 centered around sectional differences between the North and South that were based on the 8 economic and social divergence caused by the existence of slavery; and 9 WHEREAS, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as President of the United States in 1861, 10 and as President, he believed and stated that the paramount object of the Civil War was to save 11 the Union rather than to save or destroy slavery; and 12 WHEREAS, Lincoln also stated that it was his belief that all men everywhere should be 13 free, thus adding to the growing anticipation for slaves that their ultimate liberation was at hand; 14 and 15 WHEREAS, In 1862, the first clear sign that the end of slavery was imminent came when 16 laws abolishing slavery in the territories of Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, and New Mexico 17 were passed; and 18 WHEREAS, In September of that same year, President Lincoln warned that if the eleven 19 rebellious Confederate States did not return to the Union by January 1, 1863, he would declare 20 their slaves forever free via the celebrated Emancipated Proclamation; and 21 WHEREAS, Enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, however, only occurred in 22 Confederate States once they were under Union Army control and Congress subsequently passed 23 the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution on January 31, 1865, abolishing slavery 24 throughout the United States and its territories; and 25 WHEREAS, News of this action reached the states at different times, and it was not until 26 June 19 of 1865, that the message of freedom reached the slaves in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, 27 Arkansas, and California; and 28 WHEREAS, Spontaneous celebrations erupted throughout the country when African- 29 Americans learned of their freedom; and 30 WHEREAS, Juneteenth National Freedom Day celebrates the abolishment of slavery 31 with excitement and great joy and is a reminder to all Americans of the status and importance that 32 Americans of African descent hold as American citizens; now, therefore be it 33 RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 34 urges the citizens of the State of Rhode Island to join in recognizing the historical significance of LC006119 - Page 2 of 3 1 Juneteenth Independence Day and the observance of Juneteenth National Freedom Day on June 2 19th; and be it further 3 RESOLVED, That this House hereby supports the annual celebration of Juneteenth 4 National Freedom Day in order to provide an opportunity for the people of the State to learn more 5 about our country’s past and to better understand the experiences that have shaped our nation; and 6 be it further 7 RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 8 transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the Honorable Daniel J. McKee, Governor of 9 the State of Rhode Island. ======== LC006119 ======== LC006119 - Page 3 of 3