View the signed Mayoral Proclamation Juneteenth 2020.
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WHEREAS, Our country is made up of people from every nation on earth, who are declared equal not only in freedom but also in justice, both of which are essential for a healthy human civilization; and
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WHEREAS, Our nation was conceived on July 4th, 1776 with the Declaration of Independence, the classic statement being: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness;” and
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WHEREAS, On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, providing that all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free;” and
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WHEREAS, On June 19, 1865 Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of both the Civil War and slavery; and
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WHEREAS, celebration of the end of slavery, which became known as Juneteenth, is the oldest known public celebration of the end of slavery in the United States; and
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WHEREAS, Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and celebrates the successes gained through education and greater opportunity; and
*WHEREAS, on a larger scale, celebration of Juneteenth reminds each of us of the precious promises of freedom, equality and opportunity, which are at the core of the American Dream; and it serves as a reminder of the further progress we must make towards racial equity.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That we, Dr. Timothy J. Mahoney, Mayor of the City of Fargo and Johnathan Judd, Mayor of the City of Moorhead, Minnesota do hereby proclaim Friday, June 19th, 2020 as
JUNETEENTH 2020
in the Cities of Fargo, North Dakota Moorhead, Minnesota and both cities remain fully committed to facilitating further dialogue with all parties who have a true desire to work collaboratively to address racial inequities in the metro community.