Fiscal Note
No City appropriation required.
Title
Recognizing and commemorating June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth and Freedom Day in Madison, Wisconsin
Body
WHEREAS, June 19 or Juneteenth, is Freedom Day; and,
WHEREAS, this day not only celebrates freedom but honors and punctuates the quest for the civil liberty of freedom; and,
WHEREAS, Juneteenth, at its genesis, symbolically commemorates the end of slavery in America, and the beginning of the road to freedom for Black people; and,
WHEREAS, while symbolically, America gained its independence on the Fourth of July; symbolically, all its people gained their freedom on Juneteenth; and,
WHEREAS, after the Civil War, the institution of slavery remained in effect with many choosing to ignore, resist, and defy the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared the end of slavery in states that seceded from the United States; and,
WHEREAS, on June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, the final stop for these troops on their march across the Confederate South delivering the formal news; and,
WHEREAS, the troops, who were charged with enforcement of the Emancipation Proclamation, advised the community that they are free and that they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation two and a half years prior; and,
WHEREAS, approximately six months later, the 13th Amendment, which stated that “neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States or any place subject to their jurisdiction,” was ratified; and,
WHEREAS, as such, Juneteenth observations and celebrations started in Texas in 1865; and,
WHEREAS, in 1989, the greater Madison community first started formally celebrating Juneteenth; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison first recognized Juneteenth as a City holiday in 2021; and,
WHEREAS, in 2021, Juneteenth became the 11th federal holiday in the United States; and,
WHEREAS, Black youth have played a central and often underrecognized role in advancing freedom in the United States, organizing through schools, churches, and community institutions to demand justice, equality, and full citizenship both long before and throughout the Civil Rights Movement; and,
WHEREAS, in 1960, Black college students sparked a national movement through sit-ins challenging segregation, leading to the creation of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, a youth-led organization that transformed the Civil Rights Movement through direct action and grassroots leadership; and,
WHEREAS, Black youth and young adults led voter registration drives, Freedom Rides, Freedom Schools, and organizing efforts across the South, demonstrating courage and strategic leadership that helped reshape national policy and expand democracy; and,
WHEREAS, Black children and teenagers courageously participated in direct action protests, including the 1963 Birmingham Children’s March, where thousands of young people faced arrest and violence to challenge segregation and awaken the conscience of the nation; and,
WHEREAS, Black students organized walkouts, boycotts, and protests, many of which went unreported at the time, to challenge unequal and segregated school conditions, directly influencing legal strategies that culminated in landmark decisions such as Brown v. Board of Education, which further ignited the fight for equal and equitable conditions; and,
WHEREAS, the actions of individual young people outside of organized or movement specific activities have additionally spurred widespread change, such as Claudette Colvin getting arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a Montgomery bus to a white woman, which then set the stage for the response to Rosa Parks and the resulting Montgomery Bus Boycott; and,
WHEREAS, these instances of Black youth advancing freedom were met with racial terror, violence, and intimidation through numerous means, whether it be the use of dogs and fire hoses on protesters, segregationist mobs blocking desegregation efforts, bombings, lynchings, or incarcerations, among others; and,
WHEREAS, while young leaders persisted through this racial terror, violence, and intimidation to advance freedoms, it also has resulted in trauma that can be felt today; and,
WHEREAS, many leaders of the Civil Rights Movement began their activism as young people, with youth-led efforts serving as training grounds for lifelong leadership, civic engagement, and community transformation; and,
WHEREAS, the leadership, courage, and vision of Black youth both before and during the Civil Rights Movement continue to inspire generations of young leaders today, affirming that youth are not only the future but are also essential leaders in the present; and,
WHEREAS, the City of Madison recognizes that today’s Black youth - like those of the Civil Rights era - are leaders, organizers, and visionaries within their communities, and that investing in their voices, leadership, and lived experiences strengthens our city and advances equity for future generations;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City of Madison and the Madison Common Council recognize and commemorate June 19, 2026, as Juneteenth and Freedom Day in Madison.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the official Juneteenth flag was raised on June 2, 2026, in the City of Madison.