Proclamation on Juneteenth Day of Observance

Mayor Paul Shewmaker issues a proclamation declaring June 19, 2022 as Juneteenth Day of Observance in the City of Simpsonville, S.C.

CITY OF SIMPSONVILLE

Proclamation on Juneteenth day of observance 2022

This proclamation declares Sunday, the 19th of June 2022, as Juneteenth Day of Observance in the City of Simpsonville, South Carolina. This is our day to remember and reflect on the past and to look forward to a day when we eradicate all systemic racism.

WHEREAS, on June 19, 1865 — nearly nine decades after our Nation's founding, and more than 2 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation — enslaved Americans in Galveston, Texas finally received word that they were free from bondage.

WHEREAS, as those who were formerly enslaved were recognized for the first time as citizens, Black Americans came to commemorate Juneteenth with celebrations across the country, building new lives and a new tradition that we honor today. In its celebration of freedom, Juneteenth is a day that should be recognized by all Americans.

WHEREAS, Juneteenth is a day of profound weight and power. A day in which we remember the mortal stain and terrible toll of slavery on our nation, and a legacy of systemic racism, inequality, and inhumanity. But it is also a day that reminds us of our incredible capacity to heal, hope, and emerge from our darkest moments with purpose and resolve.

WHEREAS, on Juneteenth, we recommit ourselves to the work of equity, equality, and justice. As we celebrate the centuries of struggle, courage, and hope that have brought us to this time of progress and possibility. That work has been led throughout our history by abolitionists and educators, civil rights advocates and lawyers, courageous activists and public officials, and everyday Americans who have helped make real the ideals of our founding documents for all.

WHEREAS, Juneteenth not only commemorates the past. It calls us to action today.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, PAUL D. SHEWMAKER, Mayor of the City of Simpsonville, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2022, as Juneteenth Day of Observance. I call upon the people of the City of Simpsonville to acknowledge and celebrate the end of the Civil War and the emancipation of Black Americans and commit together to eradicate systemic racism that still undermines our founding ideals and collective prosperity.

Paul D. Shewmaker

Mayor, City of Simpsonville