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Recognizing Saturday, June 19, 2021, as Juneteenth Independence Day in the City of Philadelphia, in honor of June 19, 1865, the day when enslaved Black people were finally freed in the United States of America, declaring the annual Juneteenth Philly Festival and Johnson House Historic Site Festival as Philadelphia's official Juneteenth celebrations, and advocating for the City of Philadelphia to become the official home of the National Juneteenth Independence Day Celebration.
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WHEREAS, The institution of American chattel slavery held more than 4,000,000 African people and their descendants in bondage from 1619 to 1865; and
WHEREAS, During that time, this inhumane practice formed the backbone of the American economy, while enslaved Black people were deprived of the fundamental American rights of life, liberty, and citizenship, and stripped of their cultural identities; and
WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation took effect on January 1, 1863, declaring an end to the practice of chattel slavery in the United States of America that had held enslaved Black people in bondage since 1619; and
WHEREAS, Enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were not informed that they were free until more than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, when Union soldiers delivered the news on June 19, 1865; and
WHEREAS, Formerly enslaved Black people and their descendants have continued to celebrate June 19th as Juneteenth Independence Day for more than 150 years, as a day of celebration and recognition of the emancipation of all enslaved people in the United States; and
WHEREAS, Juneteenth celebrations have long been a staple in Philadelphia's historically Black neighborhoods, with groups in West Philadelphia and Germantown hosting large celebrations and festivals for more than 15 years; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia celebrates a rich history in the struggle for freedom, with many residents having offered their homes, businesses, an...
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