Make Juneteenth Official Holiday

June 19, 2020, as Juneteenth Day in New York State WHEREAS, Juneteenth (short for "June nineteenth") is a holiday commemorating this day, which marked the effective end of slavery in the United States in the year of 1865 in Galveston, Texas; and WHEREAS, On that day, one of General Granger's first orders was Order No. 3 which was read aloud to the people of Texas and stated: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equity of rights and rights of property between masters and former slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer."; and WHEREAS, The celebration of Juneteenth allowed freed slaves and their descendants to recount the memories of that great day in 1865 when freedom was proclaimed, and also served as a release from the pressures of settling into new territories; and WHEREAS, While Juneteenth is a time for celebration, it is also a time for reflection, education, and self-improvement; celebration participants listen to elders recount the past, attend prayer services, and learn from educational speakers; and WHEREAS, Juneteenth today celebrates African American freedom and achievements while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures; and WHEREAS, It takes on a more national, symbolic, and even global perspective, the events of 1865 in Texas are not forgotten for all of the roots tie back to this fertile soil from which a national day of pride is growing; and WHEREAS, In 1980, the State of Texas was the first state to recognize Juneteenth as an official state holiday, through the efforts of Al Edwards, an African American State Legislator; and WHEREAS, In 1997, Congress recognized June 19 as "Juneteenth Independence Day"; and WHEREAS, National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, founded and chaired by the Reverend Ronald Meyers, is committed to making Juneteenth a federal holiday on a par with Flag and Patriot days; and WHEREAS, Juneteenth looks bright as the number of cities and states creating Juneteenth committees continues to increase; and WHEREAS, 46 states recognize Juneteenth and the states that do not are Hawaii, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota; and WHEREAS, Cities in New York that have had Juneteenth celebrations include Albany, Binghamton, Bronx, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Rochester, Schenectady, Syracuse, Yonkers, etc.; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to memorialize Governor Andrew M. Cuomo to proclaim June 19, 2020, as Juneteenth Day in New York State; and be it further RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be transmitted to The Honorable Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of the State of New York.