88R33026 CW-D
By: Neave Criado H.R. No. 2416
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Residents of Mesquite are gathering together on
June 18, 2023, for the city's fourth annual Juneteenth celebration;
and
WHEREAS, The oldest known observance commemorating the end of
slavery in the United States, Juneteenth specifically celebrates
the emancipation of African American slaves in Texas; and
WHEREAS, On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger
arrived in Galveston with federal troops to provide military
support for Reconstruction efforts and to enforce President Abraham
Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation; that same day, General
Granger read publicly his General Order No. 3, which proclaimed
that all slaves were undeniably free from that date onward and that
there would be "an absolute equality of rights and rights of
property between former masters and slaves"; and
WHEREAS, Held on June 19 of each year, the commemoration of
this momentous event became known as "Juneteenth," and celebrations
grew over the decades to encompass recitations of the Emancipation
Proclamation, readings by notable people, and such festive
activities as singing, parades, rodeos, street fairs, and cookouts;
the celebration in Mesquite, which is being organized by Mesquite
Tri-East NAACP, will include vendors, food and drink, and
children's activities; in addition, the event will feature a live
performance by Fat Daddy I Got the Blues; and
WHEREAS, More than 150 years after emancipation was
proclaimed in Texas, Juneteenth continues to inspire gatherings
that honor the myriad achievements and immeasurable fortitude of
the African American community in the Lone Star State; now,
therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas
Legislature hereby commemorate the 2023 Mesquite NAACP Juneteenth
Festival and extend to all those in attendance sincere best wishes
for a meaningful and memorable occasion.