Kentucky
recognizes Juneteenth as a State Holiday or State Holiday
Observance through a Bill, House Resolution, Senate Resolution or Joint
Resolution
Rep. Reginald Meeks - (*contact Kentucky Juneteenth State Director,
Dr. Lundeana Thomas - 502-852-7682)(passed 2005)
AN ACT relating to establishing Juneteenth
National Freedom Day in Kentucky.
WHEREAS, most citizens believe that the issuing
of the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863 legally ended slavery;
however, the proclamation only applied to states which seceded from the Union
and did not apply to Kentucky; and
WHEREAS, by the time the Thirteenth Amendment
was ratified in December, 1865, only nine states, Kentucky among them, still
clung to the institution of slavery even though in 1833 Kentucky passed legislation
prohibiting the importation of African slaves into the state for resale south;
and
WHEREAS, some slaves in Kentucky won freedom by
joining the army when President Lincoln declared that any slave joining the
Union Army would be given freedom; and
WHEREAS, the Civil War ended in April, 1865,
but bondage did not end for approximately 225,000 Kentucky slaves until the
Thirteenth Amendment was ratified December 18, 1865; and
WHEREAS, each state has its own story as to
when the slaves were notified of their freedom: July 4th in New York, September
22nd in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, and May 8th in Mississippi; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth, or June 19, 1865, is
considered the date when the last slaves in America were freed by General
Gordon Granger, who arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order Number
Three, almost two and one-half years after President Lincoln had issued the
Emancipation Proclamation; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky overwhelmingly rejected the
ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment but finally went on record against
slavery in 1976; and
WHEREAS, President Harry S. Truman signed a
bill in 1948 proclaiming February 1 "National Freedom Day" in honor
of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, a first step in nationally
commemorating the freeing of slaves and freedom for all; and
WHEREAS, for more than one hundred thirty-seven
(137) years, "Juneteenth National Freedom Day" continues to be the
most recognized African-American holiday observance and is also known as
"Emancipation Day," "Emancipation Celebration,"
"Freedom Day," "Jun-Jun," "Juneteenth Independence
Day," and "Juneteenth"; and
WHEREAS, "Juneteenth National Freedom
Day" commemorates the survival, due to God-given strength and
determination, of African-Americans through extreme adversity, hardship, and
triumph; and
WHEREAS, Americans of all colors, creeds,
cultures, religions, and countries of origin, share in a common love of and
respect for freedom, as well as the determination to protect their right to
freedom through the democratic institutions by which the tenets of freedom are
guaranteed and protected; and
WHEREAS, the nineteenth of June, along with the
fourth of July, completes the cycle of freedom for Americans' Independence Day
observance; and
WHEREAS, "Emancipation Day" is
celebrated locally in Kentucky in cities such as Allenville on August 8,
Bowling Green on June 12, and Covington on September 22; and
WHEREAS, Kentucky will join states such as
Texas, Idaho, California, Florida, Delaware, and many others in enacting legislation
to officially recognize "Juneteenth National Freedom Day";
NOW, THEREFORE,
Be it enacted by the General
Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 2 IS CREATED TO
READ AS FOLLOWS:
The nineteenth of June each
year shall be observed in Kentucky as "Juneteenth National Freedom
Day."
The Governor shall proclaim
June 19 of each year as "Juneteenth National Freedom Day" and will
encourage all Kentuckians celebrating this day to honor and reflect on the
significant roles that African-Americans have played in the history of the
United States.