WHEREAS, when Union Army General Gordon Granger landed at the Texas port city of Galveston in 1865 as the Civil War drew to a close, one of his first actions was to read General Order #3, which stated that all enslaved people are free and that former masters and slaves have absolute equality of personal and property rights; and,

WHEREAS, since then, as the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery and the Emancipation of Black Americans, the tradition of celebrating Juneteenth has been carried on by some over the years but has not received the degree of attention it deserves to recognize the triumph of the human spirit over the cruelty and inhumanity of slavery and to honor the strength, endurance, and faith of our nation’s Black American ancestors; and,

WHEREAS, it is imperative that we work towards a more equitable and just community so as to make liberty and justice accessible for every single resident of our community; and,

WHEREAS, President Biden established Juneteenth as a federally recognized holiday on June 17, 2021, and Governor Whitmer proclaimed June 19th as a State recognized holiday for Michigan on December 29, 2021,

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, Pittsfield Charter Township does hereby proclaim June 19th of each year as Juneteenth Observance Day. We encourage all citizens in the Township to celebrate Juneteenth, while continuing to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our community; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Pittsfield Charter Township hereby establishes Juneteenth (June 19th of each year) as a recognized holiday for its employees and an occasion to pay homage to the strength and endurance of our communitys' African American Ancestors.