Montgomery County Councilmembers issued a proclamation Tuesday celebrating Juneteenth, which marks the day slavery ended two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
“We come here to celebrate courage and resilience and the unbreakable spirt of the Black community,” said Councilmember Will Jawando. “We have a duty to take care of each other,” and fight injustice and hate, he said. “We are still on the journey of realizing freedom and justice for everyone in this country.”
Jawando pointed out that many of the Texans who were still enslaved were aware that they were free but weren’t able to take advantage of their new status until Union troops rode in their town and offered protection.
LaTisha Gasaway-Paul, chair of the Scotland community’s Juneteenth celebrations, reminded people not to forget “all those who were whipped and chained to get us to this point.”
Juneteenth “is not only a federal holiday. It is a sacred holiday,” she said.
According to Montgomery College History Professor Sylvea Hollis, who spoke about the history of Juneteenth, 250,000 people were still enslaved until Juneteenth.
Councilmember @CMJawando presents a proclamation celebrating #Juneteenth, the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the U.S. that recently became a federal holiday after the dedicated efforts of Ms. Opal Lee, “the Grandmother of Juneteenth.” pic.twitter.com/mHB8hzNYLV
— Montgomery Council (@MoCoCouncilMD) June 18, 2024
