Pierce County Council Passes Resolution Recognizing Juneteenth
PIERCE COUNTY, WA — The county council has passed a resolution recognizing June 19th as Juneteenth for the first time in Pierce County.
At Tuesday's regularly scheduled county council meeting, Resolution No. R2021-91 received the approval of county council members and Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier, officially recognizing the holiday inside the county.
In April, the Washington Legislature passed a measure making Juneteenth a legal state holiday as well.
The holiday originates from June 19, 1865, when Union Army general Gordon Granger delivered the Emancipation Proclamation to Texas, announcing the abolition of slavery two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the executive order. The formerly enslaved residents of Galveston celebrated Granger's announcement, a celebration that grew into the Juneteenth celebrations we now recognize today.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/pierce-county-council-passes-resolution-recognizing-juneteenth/ar-AAL5oqq