WHEREAS, on June 19, 1862, the United States Congress abolished slavery in the Federal territories pursuant to the provisions of Chapter CXI-An Act to secure Freedom to all Persons within the Territories of the United States now existing, or which may at any time hereafter be formed or acquired by the United States; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth, or June 19, 1865, is nationally recognized as the date when freedom was announced to some of the last slaves in America by General Gordon Granger, who arrived in Galveston, Texas and issued General Order Number Three, almost two-and-a-half years after President Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, and President Harry S. Truman signed a bill in 1948 proclaiming February 1 National Freedom Day in honor of the Emancipation Proclamation, a first step in commemorating the freeing of slaves and freedom for all; and
WHEREAS, on June 27, 2021, President Joe Bidden signed into law the Juneteenth Independence Day bill into law, after more than 25 years of activism by the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation to achieve awareness of Juneteenth; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth Independence Day commemorates the survival, due to God-given strength and determination, of African Americans through extreme adversity, hardship, and triumph, and Nevada is one of the 50 states to officially recognize Juneteenth Independence Day as a state holiday or observance; and
WHEREAS, Americans of all colors, creeds, cultures, religion, and countries of origin, share in a common love 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, in the state of Nevada, legislation was signed by Governor Joe Lombardo on June 8, 2023, to proclaim June 19th a state holiday, expanding the 2011 Juneteenth Day of Observance; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOE LOMBARDO, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2024, as
JUNETEENTH INDEPENDENCE DAY IN NEVADA