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

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

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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.

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