Woodland City Council passed a proclamation earlier this week declaring June 19 as Juneteenth.

The Juneteenth celebration started June 19, 1865, when Texas Major General Gordon Granger read General Order #3 to the people of Galveston, stating, “the people of Texas are informed, that in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are Free.”

After that, Juneteenth became recognized as a celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

“This community wishes to secure the blessings of freedom, justice, and equality for all in the city of Woodland,” according to the proclamation read by Mayor Rich Lansburgh. “On Juneteenth, may we celebrate the essence of freedom that galvanized the country, the progress we have made in our Nation, and all that is possible when we march forward together. May we all recommit to choosing love over hate, unity over division, and progress over retreat.”

During the June 17 city council meeting, Reverend Wayne Richardson, along with his family, accepted the proclamation.

“The reverend is here to accept the proclamation regarding Juneteenth,” Lansburgh said. “In 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. It took that long to get this holiday established. This holiday was the first to be approved since President Ronald Reagan signed one in 1983, so it’s quite a difference there between declaring federal holidays.”

Lansburgh continues: “During the 20th century, Juneteenth celebrations actually declined, and it wasn’t until Dr. Martin Luther King purposely planned the poor people’s march to coincide with Juneteenth. Ever since then, we’ve been resurrecting the Juneteenth Celebration, which means a lot to a lot of people, and it should mean a lot to us. So I’m very proud to present this proclamation to you.”

“We thank you all so much for the recognition to honor the day and for being in the community. God bless you so much,” Richardson said.