Tennille City Council voted to designate Juneteenth as an official holiday in the City of Tennille at their Tuesday, July 6 City Council meeting.
In the absence of Mayor Eartha Cummings, Mayor Pro-Tem Brainard Crawford publicly read the resolution to designate Juneteenth as an official holiday in the City of Tennille during the July 6 City Council meeting.
Mayor Pro-Tem Crawford explained that President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation effective January 1, 1863, freeing the slaves in the South. However, southern slave owners ignored that order. On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas and enforced the president’s order, freeing the slaves two and a half years after it was first decreed; this day has since come to be known as Juneteenth.
“June 19 has a special meaning to African Americans, and it’s called ‘Juneteenth,’ combining the words June and Nineteenth, and has been celebrated by the African American community for over 150 years,” stated Mayor Pro-Tem Crawford when reading the resolution. He continued, “On a larger scale, celebration of Juneteenth reminds each of us of the precious promises of freedom, equality, and opportunity which are at the core of the American Dream.”
The resolution states that the annual observance of Juneteenth would provide residents and employees of the City of Tennille an opportunity to reflect on the impact of slavery and remember those who were enslaved here and their profound contributions to the community.
After reading the resolution, Councilperson Deborah Rhodes moved to approve the resolution establishing Juneteenth as an official town holiday. Councilperson Rhonda Lemons seconded, and the vote carried.