DUNCANVILLE, TX -On Tuesday, August 3, 2021, the Duncanville City Council considered a resolution to establish Juneteenth as a city-observed holiday. The item was added to the meeting agenda at the request of Mark D. Cooks, Councilmember for Duncanville District 4. After a presentation by the City's Human Resources Director, which included data on the percentage of Texas cities currently observing (4.8%), considering observing (54.0%), and not observing (41.3%) Juneteenth, the City Council voted unanimously to adopt June 19th as the City's 12th recognized holiday.
Juneteenth commemorates the date of June 19, 1865, when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, to take control of the state. Two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, General Order No. 3, which stated "all slaves are free," was read on Texas soil signaling the freedom for the state's 250,000 enslaved people. On June 17, 2021, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. signed legislation making June 19th a federal holiday in the United States.
"I was pleased to make the motion and join the rest of the Council in a unanimous vote to adopt Juneteenth as an official City holiday," said Councilmember Cooks. "It's my hope that our community and staff will reflect upon Black history in America and its contribution to our City of Champions. I also hope the takeaway from that reflection gives us purpose to work toward continued freedom and economic prosperity for individuals of all races and cultures. And that we all can work together to improve upon this nation's promise for current and future generations."
Duncanville will begin officially observing the holiday on Monday, June 20, 2022.