DE SCR49

Officially recognizes June 19, 2019 as "Juneteenth Independence Day" in the State of Delaware

Commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number Three in Galveston, Texas, notifying the last enslaved Americans in the South of their freedom

Notes that the Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, but notification reached Texas nearly two and a half years later

Acknowledges Delaware as one of the final two slave states (along with Kentucky) where slavery was officially ended by the Thirteenth Amendment on December 18, 1865

Encourages Delaware residents to reflect on the contributions of African Americans and celebrate the day with appropriate activities and events