SR1329LRB103 43412 MST 76745 r

1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, January 1st marks the official day when enslaved
3people were declared free following President Abraham
4Lincoln's issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation; and
 
5    WHEREAS, The Confederate states were mandated to free the
6slaves at midnight on January 1, 1863; however, it took nearly
7two more years, until June 19, 1865, for many individuals to be
8informed that they were free; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Juneteenth is celebrated as the day enslaved
10people learned of their freedom, but January 1st is the
11official freedom date; and
 
12    WHEREAS, Acknowledging January 1 as the day enslaved
13people officially received their freedom will enhance our
14understanding of the oppression and challenges they faced,
15including the denial of their rights and the struggle for
16equality; therefore, be it
 
17    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
18ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we declare January 1,
192025 as Black Diaspora Freedom Day in the State of Illinois.