Bill Text: MN SR9 | 2020 | 91st Legislature 1st Special Session | Draft
Bill Title: A Senate resolution expressing the cultural and historical significance of Juneteenth
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-06-19 - Referred to Rules and Administration [SR9 Detail]
Download: Minnesota-2020-SR9-Draft.html
1.1A Senate resolution
1.2expressing the cultural and historical significance of Juneteenth.
1.3WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed
1.4enslaved people effective January 1, 1863; and
1.5WHEREAS, slavery continued in Texas, the most remote of the slave states, until Union
1.6troops arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, with news that the Civil War was over and slaves
1.7were free; and
1.8WHEREAS, Juneteenth, a term that blends the words "June" and "nineteenth," became the
1.9annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and is also known as Freedom
1.10Day; and
1.11WHEREAS, celebrations of Juneteenth date back to 1866 and have grown to be celebrated
1.12in many major cities across the country, with traditions often including reading the Emancipation
1.13Proclamation, singing traditional songs, and reciting the written works of noted black authors as
1.14well as prayer services, street fairs, cookouts, and park parties; and
1.15WHEREAS, despite the cultural significance of this historic event, Juneteenth is not yet
1.16recognized as a federal holiday, although 47 states, including Minnesota, celebrate the significance
1.17of the day; and
1.18NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it
1.19recognizes the significance of Juneteenth to the African American population in Minnesota and the
1.20importance of the annual celebration in promoting and cultivating knowledge and appreciation of
1.21African American history and culture.
1.2expressing the cultural and historical significance of Juneteenth.
1.3WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed
1.4enslaved people effective January 1, 1863; and
1.5WHEREAS, slavery continued in Texas, the most remote of the slave states, until Union
1.6troops arrived in Galveston on June 19, 1865, with news that the Civil War was over and slaves
1.7were free; and
1.8WHEREAS, Juneteenth, a term that blends the words "June" and "nineteenth," became the
1.9annual commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States and is also known as Freedom
1.10Day; and
1.11WHEREAS, celebrations of Juneteenth date back to 1866 and have grown to be celebrated
1.12in many major cities across the country, with traditions often including reading the Emancipation
1.13Proclamation, singing traditional songs, and reciting the written works of noted black authors as
1.14well as prayer services, street fairs, cookouts, and park parties; and
1.15WHEREAS, despite the cultural significance of this historic event, Juneteenth is not yet
1.16recognized as a federal holiday, although 47 states, including Minnesota, celebrate the significance
1.17of the day; and
1.18NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the State of Minnesota that it
1.19recognizes the significance of Juneteenth to the African American population in Minnesota and the
1.20importance of the annual celebration in promoting and cultivating knowledge and appreciation of
1.21African American history and culture.
| Cal R. LudemanSecretary of the Senate | Paul E. GazelkaChair, Senate Committee onRules and Administration |
| Jeff HaydenState Senator, District 62 | Bobby Joe ChampionState Senator, District 59 |
| Patricia Torres RayState Senator, District 63 |
| Foung HawjState Senator, District 67 |
| Melisa FranzenState Senator, District 49 |
