EVERETT—Snohomish County held its annual Juneteenth flag ceremony at the County Campus Wednesday, June 18, to crowd of roughly 40 people.
“Juneteenth is one of those incredible holidays that the entire community, people from all walks of life, regardless of politics, can come together to solemnly recognize our country’s past while celebrating how far we’ve come,” said County Councilman Jared Mead who, along with Councilman Sam Low, was pivotal in the County’s recognition of the holiday.
Also in attendance were Senator John Lovick, County Council Chair Nate Nehring, County Vice Chair Megan Dunn, Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin, and Mountlake Terrace City Councilman and Vice President of Community Engagement for Volunteers of America Steve Woodard.
Snohomish County became the first county in Washington State to fly the Juneteenth flag in 2022 at its county campus, just days after then-Governor Jay Inslee, along with members of Blacks United in Leadership and Diversity (BUILD), held the State’s official first Juneteenth flag raising ceremony on the State Capitol Campus in Olympia.
In 2021, the Washington State Legislature approved HB 1016, sponsored by State Representative Melanie Morgan (D-Parkland), to establish Juneteenth as a legal state holiday. It was then signed into law by Governor Inslee on May 13, 2021, just over a month before Congress passed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, that established June 19 as the 12th U.S. public legal holiday. The federal bill was signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021.
Juneteenth is celebrated throughout Snohomish County with events that honor Black American culture, history, and resilience. These gatherings often include educational activities, music, food, and community discussions aimed at fostering understanding and unity.
This year marks 160 years since the news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the deepest parts of the former confederacy. Black Americans have been celebrating Juneteenth for generations, but the first recorded celebration of Juneteenth in the Pacific Northwest was in Kent, Washington, in 1890.
Juneteenth dates to 1865 when, on June 19, Union soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston, Texas with news of the end of the Civil War and that the slaves were free known as General Order Number 3. This news was two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation of January 1, 1863, which didn’t impact Texas since there were very few Union soldiers to enforce the proclamation.
General Order Number 3, reads as follows:
The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property, between former masters and slaves and the connection heretofore existing between them, becomes that between employer and hired labor. The Freedmen are advised to remain at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts; and they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.”
The surrender of General Lee in April of 1865 coupled with the arrival of Granger and his regiment finally provided the influence necessary to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation.
Juneteenth became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, and the first known official movement to make Juneteenth a federal holiday began in 1994. All 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth either as a state holiday, a ceremonial holiday, or a day of observance.
Author: Kienan Briscoe
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You just have to constantly push this bullshit like anyone fucking cares.