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11 <br />1 <br />James Williams, formerpublic defenderandtheChair ofthe Bicentennial Committee, <br />2 <br />made comments. <br />3 <br />Commissioner Price read the proclamation: <br />4 <br />5 <br />ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />6 <br />PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING DECEMBER 6, 2017 AS <br />7 <br />ABOLITION DAY <br />8 <br />th <br />9 <br />WHEREAS <br />, on the sixth day of December, 1865, the 13Amendment to the United States <br />10 <br />Constitution was ratified, officially abolishing slavery in the entire United States; <br />11 <br />and <br />12 <br />13 <br />WHEREAS <br />, this historic piece of legislation occurred almost three years after President <br />14 <br />Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which freed only those <br />15 <br />people held in slavery in the rebelling states; and <br />16 <br />17 <br />WHEREAS <br />, Amendment XIII. Section 1 of the United States Constitution reads:“Neither <br />18 <br />slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof <br />19 <br />the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or <br />20 <br />any place subject to their jurisdiction”; and <br />21 <br />22 <br />WHEREAS <br />,the 13thAmendment marked the beginning of attempts to provide protections and <br />23 <br />liberties to formerly enslaved persons, primarily the sons and daughters of <br />24 <br />Africa as well as Indigenous Peoples; and <br />25 <br />26 <br />WHEREAS <br />, the journey to freedom has been and continues to be a protracted and arduous <br />27 <br />journey whereupon women, men and children have endured violence and pain; <br />28 <br />and <br />29 <br />30 <br />WHEREAS <br />, despite the advancements made throughout the past 152 years toward liberation <br />31 <br />and equity, people still are fighting against policies and practices intended to <br />32 <br />disenfranchise them and divest them of their humanity, citizenship and dignity; <br />33 <br />and <br />34 <br />35 <br />WHEREAS <br />, historically marginalized and oppressed people nevertheless remain encouraged <br />36 <br />and emboldened by the spirit of their ancestors to continue the march for the <br />37 <br />full measure of freedom that theybelieve they shall achieve one day; <br />38 <br />39 <br />NOW, THEREFORE <br />, we, the Orange County Board of Commissioners, do hereby proclaim that <br />40 <br />December 6, 2017 shall be recognized as ABOLITION DAY throughout the <br />41 <br />County, and urge all residents to support and engage in the ongoing struggle <br />42 <br />to ensure freedom and justice for all of humanity…locally, nationally and <br />43 <br />globally. <br />44 <br />th <br />45 <br />This the 4day of December 2017. <br />46 <br />47 <br />A motion was made by Commissioner Price,seconded by Commissioner Jacobs forthe <br />48 <br />Board to approve and authorize the Chair to sign the Proclamation Recognizing December 6, <br />49 <br />2017 as Abolition Day in Orange County. <br /> <br />