IL SR1329

January 1st marks the official date when enslaved people were declared free following President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.

Confederate states were mandated to free enslaved people at midnight on January 1, 1863, but many individuals did not learn of their freedom until June 19, 1865 (celebrated as Juneteenth).

Resolution acknowledges January 1st as the official freedom date, distinct from Juneteenth which celebrates when enslaved people learned of their freedom.

Recognizing January 1st as the official emancipation date will enhance understanding of the oppression, denial of rights, and struggle for equality that enslaved people faced.