Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
6 <br /> recognized. Last year Orange County and the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill and Hillsborough <br /> gave recognition to Juneteenth as holiday. <br /> Juneteenth, while a time of celebration, it is also a time of reflection. Ira Berlin, in his book, <br /> "The Long Emancipation: The Demise of Slavery in the United States" finds slavery did not just <br /> happen over the course of the Civil War but was "a near century process." Emancipation was <br /> not a gift bestowed upon Black Americans by Lincoln or the Republican Party; it was something <br /> Black Americans fought for from the time they came to this country enslaved more than 400 <br /> years ago until today. In fighting for their freedom, Black Americans have shaped what it means <br /> to be a citizen in this "imperfect" country we call home. Through judicial decisions and <br /> legislation, Black Americans have redefined the words, "[We] the people." <br /> This year there will be online and in person community celebrations of Juneteenth, June 18 — <br /> 20, by the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill, the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools system, <br /> the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP, the Marion Cheek Jackson Center and others. Juneteenth <br /> will be celebrated with Black community and cultural events through arts performances, history <br /> exhibits, music and activities. Staff recommends the community attend these events to learn <br /> more about Juneteenth and the history of the Black community. <br /> "The attached resolution regarding Juneteenth echoes many of the declarations and sentiments <br /> expressed by the Black, Indigenous and People of Color Elected Officials group in their <br /> statement commemorating Juneteenth, and thereby affirms the Board's support for this <br /> nationwide holiday. <br /> Annette Moore explained the history of Juneteenth, and read some of the background <br /> information from the agenda abstract. She said early Juneteenth celebrations featured giving <br /> newly freed people information about voting. She discussed some of the Juneteenth events <br /> that will be celebrated this year, as noted in the abstract. She said this resolution will affirm the <br /> decision made last year to support Juneteenth as a paid county holiday. <br /> Chair Price said there will be an art exhibit on June 18-20 called, "Say Their Names". <br /> She said it will highlight murders, lynchings, and atrocities that have occurred over the last 400 <br /> years. She said even though Juneteenth is a day of celebration, it is important to highlight the <br /> fact that there is still work to do. <br /> Chair Price read the last two paragraphs of the resolution: <br /> ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> Resolution Supporting Juneteenth 2021 <br /> WHEREAS, Juneteenth is a celebration of the date, June 19, 1865, when people who were <br /> enslaved in Texas were informed that the US government had officially outlawed the brutal <br /> practice of slavery, three years prior with the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation; and <br /> WHEREAS, the Emancipation Proclamation issued on January 1, 1863 declared that the <br /> people who were enslaved in Confederate-controlled areas were officially free people (state <br /> action was used to abolish slavery in areas controlled by Union forces with the exceptions of <br /> Kentucky and Delaware where slavery was finally ended by the Thirteenth Amendment in <br /> December 1865); and <br />