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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: November 18, 2025 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 8-c <br /> SUBJECT: Abolition Day Proclamation <br /> DEPARTMENT: BOCC <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Proclamation Paul Slack, Chief Civil Rights Officer, <br /> 919-245-2317 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve a proclamation recognizing December 6, 2025 as Abolition Day in <br /> Orange County. <br /> BACKGROUND: The 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865, formally abolished slavery <br /> in the United States and marked a defining moment in the nation's pursuit of liberty and justice. It <br /> ended the legal institution of chattel slavery, freeing millions of Black Americans who had been <br /> enslaved for generations. However, its exception clause, which allowed involuntary servitude as <br /> punishment for crime, paved the way for new forms of racial control, including convict leasing and <br /> mass incarceration. The amendment remains both a landmark of progress and a reminder of the <br /> ongoing struggle to achieve true freedom and equality for all. <br /> In recognition of Abolition Day, the Orange County Community Remembrance Coalition <br /> (OCCRC), in collaboration with the Orange County Office of Civil Rights and Civic Life, is <br /> sponsoring a number of events: <br /> 1) A play by Mike Wiley, The Fire Of Freedom, will be presented at UNC's Kenan Theatre <br /> beginning at 6:00 pm on December 5, 2025. <br /> 2) A symposium entitled "Beyond The 13th Amendment: Reclaiming The Promise of <br /> Freedom", from 10:00 am to 2:30 pm on December 6, 2025 at the Carrboro Century Center. <br /> 3) A screening of Ada DuVernay's movie 131 on December 10, 2025, at the Seymour Center <br /> beginning at 5:00 pm, followed by a discussion about mass incarceration. <br /> These events explore the impact and importance of the 13th Amendment on American life. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: There is no financial impact associated with consideration of the <br /> proclamation. <br /> ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLAN: This item supports: <br /> • GUIDING PRINCIPLE — INCLUSIVITY AND ENGAGEMENT <br />