Gov. Holcomb issues proclamation in celebration of Juneteenth

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb announced on Wednesday that he has signed a proclamation officially declaring June 19, 2024, as Juneteenth in Indiana.

"I have proudly issued a proclamation celebrating #Juneteenth. #Hoosiers and the nation honor the Black community's freedom, achievements, culture, and resilience," the Governor wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. "Today and every day, let's resolve to reflect, rejoice, and strive for a more just and equitable future."

The holiday celebrates the day word of the abolition of slavery reached some of the last enslaved people in the country, June 19, 1865, even though the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln on Jan. 1, 1863. 

President Joe Biden made the holiday, which had traditionally only been celebrated regionally in the south, a federal holiday in 2021.

The full text of the proclamation can be viewed below:

To all to whom these presents may come, greetings:

Whereas, on September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that as of January 1, 1863, all slaves in the rebellious states would be thenceforward and forever free; and

Whereas it took almost three more years of conflict and loss to bring about the end of the Civil War and in December 1865, the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was nationally ratified, ending the sanctioned institution of slavery; and

Whereas, led by General Gordon Granger, the last enslaved people were notified of the end of the Civil War and abolition of slavery on June 19, 1865; and

Whereas, this day, June 19, or Juneteenth, became recognized as National Freedom Day, commemorating the abolition of sanctioned slavery in the United States; and

Whereas, on this anniversary each year, Hoosiers, alongside our nation, celebrate the freedom, as well as the contributions, culture, and resilience of the Black community with events and ceremonies that reflect the power of humanity, family, and community through the face of oppression; and

Whereas the State of Indiana encourages people to observe Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect, rejoice and work toward a more just future as we continue to fight against division and racial injustice in our society today;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Eric J. Holcomb, Governor of the State of Indiana, do hereby proclaim June 19, 2024, as JUNETEENTH.