---
title: SR 5. Juneteenth; the history and meaning of the Juneteenth holiday; commemorate and recognize
collection: bills
id: 2026-special/sr5
cite_as: SR 5, 2026 Special Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/sr5
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/sr5.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/sr5/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74854
date: 2026-06-20
status: passed
corpus_version: bills-2026-09-13
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/sr4.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/sr6.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 94
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/sr5.md?full=1
bill_number: SR 5
session: 2026 Special Session
session_slug: 2026-special
chamber: Senate
bill_type: resolution
status_date: 2026-06-20
last_action: Senate Read and Adopted
sponsors:
  - Kim Jackson
  - Harold Jones
  - Freddie Sims
  - Jaha Howard
  - Sheikh Rahman
  - Kenya Wicks
  - Tonya Anderson
  - Gail Davenport
  - Donzella James
  - Derek Mallow
  - Randal Mangham
  - Josh McLaurin
  - Elena Parent
  - Nikki Merritt
  - Sonya Halpern
  - Nan Orrock
  - Sally Harrell
  - RaShaun Kemp
text_version: Enrolled
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/SR5/2026/X1
upstream_id: 2154260
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - Juneteenth
  - Black history
  - voting rights
  - civil rights
  - legislative resolution
---

# SR 5. Juneteenth; the history and meaning of the Juneteenth holiday; commemorate and recognize

## Text

Senate Resolution 5EX
By: Senators Jackson of the 41st, Jones II of the 22nd, Sims of the 12th, Howard of the 35th,
Rahman of the 5th and others
A RESOLUTION
Commemorating Juneteenth; recognizing the history and meaning of the Juneteenth holiday;
and honoring the struggle for freedom, equality, and full citizenship for Black Americans;
and for other purposes.
WHEREAS, observed each year on June 19, Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865
when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally received word that they were free, more
than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth represents both a day of liberation and a solemn reminder that
freedom in the United States has too often been delayed, denied, and resisted for Black
Americans; and
WHEREAS, although the Emancipation Proclamation declared enslaved people in
Confederate states to be free as of January 1, 1863, that promise could not be fully realized
until Union forces advanced, the Civil War ended, and the institution of slavery was finally
destroyed; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth therefore marks not merely an announcement but the long and
difficult struggle to make freedom real for those who had been held in bondage; and
S. R. 5EX
WHEREAS, the holiday reminds this state and nation that emancipation was not the end of
the fight for justice but the beginning of a continuing struggle against racial violence,
segregation, disenfranchisement, economic exploitation, and unequal treatment under law;
and
WHEREAS, after emancipation, formerly enslaved people and their descendants built
families, churches, schools, businesses, civic organizations, and movements for justice
despite the brutal systems of Black Codes, convict leasing, Jim Crow, voter suppression, and
racial terror; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth honors the resilience, faith, labor, culture, and leadership of Black
Americans who helped build this nation and who have continually pushed the United States
toward the promises contained in its founding ideals; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth also calls upon all people to remember the truth of slavery and its
aftermath, to teach that history honestly, and to recognize that democracy is strengthened
when the stories of those who endured injustice are neither erased nor minimized; and
WHEREAS, the recognition of Juneteenth as a holiday reflects the importance of public
memory, civic education, and collective recommitment to freedom, equality, and human
dignity; and
WHEREAS, the meaning of Juneteenth requires not only celebration but also continued
action to protect voting rights, expand opportunity, confront discrimination, and ensure that
every person can participate fully in the political, economic, and civic life of this state and
nation; and
S. R. 5EX
WHEREAS, renewing our dedication to protecting and defending the political power of
Black Georgians and Black communities includes not eroding the political power of those
communities for the purpose of partisan gerrymandering.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the members of this body
commemorate Juneteenth and recognize June 19, 2026, as a day of remembrance, reflection,
celebration, and renewed commitment to justice.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body honor the generations of Black
Americans whose courage, labor, leadership, and sacrifice helped transform this nation and
expand the meaning of freedom.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body affirm the importance of
teaching and preserving the full history of slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow,
the civil rights movement, and the ongoing struggle for equality.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of this body commit to advancing the
promise of Juneteenth by protecting civil rights, defending voting rights, opposing racial
discrimination, protecting the political power of Black Georgians and Black communities,
and working to ensure liberty and justice for all.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to the public and the
press.
S. R. 5EX

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the resolution. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia Senate resolution formally commemorates Juneteenth, recognizing June 19, 2026 as a day of remembrance and committing the Senate to protecting voting rights and Black political power.

### Plain-language summary

This is a ceremonial resolution from the Georgia Senate rather than a law that changes anyone's legal rights or duties. It commemorates Juneteenth, the holiday marking June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned they were free more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
The resolution recounts the history of slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement, and honors the contributions of Black Americans. It formally states that the Senate recognizes June 19, 2026 as a day of remembrance and renewed commitment to justice, affirms the importance of teaching this history honestly, and commits to protecting voting rights and opposing racial discrimination. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

### What it does

- Formally commemorates Juneteenth and designates June 19, 2026 as a day of remembrance, reflection, celebration, and renewed commitment to justice.
- States the Senate's intent to honor Black Americans whose labor and leadership helped shape the nation's expansion of freedom.
- Affirms the importance of teaching and preserving the history of slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement.
- Commits Senate members to protecting civil rights, defending voting rights, and protecting the political power of Black Georgians and Black communities.
- Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and the press.

### Who it affects

This resolution primarily affects the Georgia Senate itself as a formal statement of its position, and speaks broadly to Black Georgians and Black communities, whose history and political power it addresses. It carries no direct legal obligations for individuals, businesses, or agencies.

### Why it matters

Because this is a resolution rather than a bill amending Georgia statute, it creates no new legal rights, funding, or penalties. Its practical effect is symbolic: it puts the Senate on record about Juneteenth's meaning and about protecting voting rights and Black political power in future policy debates.

### Key provisions

- The whereas clauses recount the history of Juneteenth, from the 1865 announcement in Galveston, Texas to the broader struggle for civil rights.
- The first resolving clause has the Senate commemorate Juneteenth and recognize June 19, 2026 as a day of remembrance and renewed commitment to justice.
- A further resolving clause affirms the importance of teaching the full history of slavery, emancipation, Reconstruction, Jim Crow, and the civil rights movement.
- A further resolving clause commits Senate members to protecting voting rights and the political power of Black Georgians, including opposing partisan gerrymandering that erodes that power.
- The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the public and press.

## Status

- Status: Passed (2026-06-20)
- Last action: Senate Read and Adopted (2026-06-20)
- Sponsors: Kim Jackson, Harold Jones, Freddie Sims, Jaha Howard, Sheikh Rahman, Kenya Wicks, Tonya Anderson, Gail Davenport, Donzella James, Derek Mallow, Randal Mangham, Josh McLaurin, Elena Parent, Nikki Merritt, Sonya Halpern, Nan Orrock, Sally Harrell, RaShaun Kemp
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/74854

> The history, votes, and amendments (94 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2026-special/sr5.md?full=1