Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
39 <br /> 1 WHEREAS, on June 10, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger was given command of the <br /> 2 Department of Texas, and on June 19, 1865, two and one-half years after the signing of the <br /> 3 Emancipation Proclamation, the Union soldiers led by Major General Granger arrived at <br /> 4 Galveston, Texas with the long-awaited news that the Civil War had ended and that enslaved <br /> 5 people were now free; and <br /> 6 <br /> 7 WHEREAS, upon his arrival in Galveston, Major General Granger read General Order Number <br /> 8 3, which began: "The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from <br /> 9 the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of <br /> 10 rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore <br /> 11 existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer"; and <br /> 12 <br /> 13 WHEREAS, Juneteenth — also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and <br /> 14 Emancipation Day— has become a special day among African Americans to celebrate the day <br /> 15 when all the enslaved sons and daughters of Africa in America realized their freedom; and <br /> 16 <br /> 17 WHEREAS, only the State of Texas currently recognizes Juneteenth as an official state holiday; <br /> 18 and <br /> 19 <br /> 20 WHEREAS, in June 2010, Governor Beverly Eaves Perdue proclaimed the observance of <br /> 21 Juneteenth in North Carolina, and on June 19, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed <br /> 22 Juneteenth Day in North Carolina; and <br /> 23 <br /> 24 WHEREAS, members of the United States Congress, including Senator Kamala Harris of <br /> 25 California and Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, recently have introduced legislation to <br /> 26 recognize Juneteenth as a federal holiday; <br /> 27 <br /> 28 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of <br /> 29 Commissioners hereby designates Juneteenth as an official County paid holiday, thus providing <br /> 30 the opportunity for employees and the community-at large to join together with the descendants <br /> 31 of enslaved Africans to observe the end of slavery and the liberation of all people in the United <br /> 32 States of America; and <br /> 33 <br /> 34 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Commissioners urges state <br /> 35 and federal legislators to sponsor legislation making Juneteenth an official state and federal <br /> 36 holiday; and <br /> 37 <br /> 38 BE IT MOREOVER RESOLVED, that the Orange County Board of Commissioners directs the <br /> 39 Clerk to the Board's Office to forward a copy of this resolution to the Chapel Hill Town Council, <br /> 40 the Carrboro Town Council, the Hillsborough Board of Commissioners, the Chapel Hill Carrboro <br /> 41 City Schools Board of Education, and the Orange County Schools Board of Education. <br /> 42 <br /> 43 This, the 1s' Day of September 2020. <br /> 44 <br /> 45 Penny Rich, Chair <br /> 46 Orange County Board of Commissioners <br /> 47 <br /> 48 A motion was made by Commissioner Price, seconded by Commissioner Dorosin to <br /> 49 approve and authorize the Chair to sign the proposed Resolution recognizing June 19, <br /> 50 Juneteenth, as a paid holiday for Orange County government employees effective upon <br />