--- ## author: Jamie Maiser date: D:20260508105927-05'00' --- Proclamation of the City of Richfield WHEREAS, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free”; and WHEREAS, the Emancipation Proclamation did not apply to states loyal to the Union, including border states with a considerable enslaved population; and WHEREAS, many slaveholders worked to keep word of the proclamation from enslaved persons, and some went so far as to forcefully relocate over 150,000 enslaved Black persons into Texas; and WHEREAS, on June 19th, 1865, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued and two months after the surrender of the Confederacy, over 250,000 Black Americans embraced freedom by executive decree in what became known as Juneteenth, or Freedom Day; and WHEREAS, Juneteenth marks our country’s second Independence Day, celebrating freedom and justice, and emphasizing the achievements of Black Americans after gaining their freedom; and WHEREAS, in the wake of the Civil War, the Constitution of the United States was amended for the 14th time to include the promise that America will not “deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws,” and WHEREAS, the City of Richfield is committed to doing the work required to deconstruct systemic racism, honor the promise of the 14th Amendment, and secure an equitable future for all citizens; Now, THEREFORE, I, Mary Supple, mayor of Richfield, on behalf of the Richfield City Council, do acknowledge the relevance of June 19, 1865 as commemorate June 19 th , 2026 as Juneteenth Freedom Day in the City of Richfield, and call on the people of Richfield to observe this day with appropriate programs, activities and ceremonies, and continue to honor the contributions of African Americans throughout the year. PROCLAIMED this 9th day of June, 2026. ## Mary B. Supple, Mayor