,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #dgd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ab1
 #bjad ,mr4 ,levin 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,cornyn1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1
 ,ms4 ,landrieu1 ,mrs4 ,hagan1 ,mr4     
,harkin1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,ms4 ,warren1    
,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,pryor1 ,mrs4 ,boxer1
 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,rubio1 ,mr4      
,toomey1 ,mr4 ,warner1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mr4
 ,kaine1 ,mr4 ,franken1 ,mr4 ,nelson1   
,mr4 ,reid1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4     
,leahy1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,udall of   
,colorado1 ,mr4 ,paul1 ,mr4 ,coons1 ,mr4
 ,cruz1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,udall of   
,new ,mexico1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4    
,wicker1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,scott1 ,mr4
 ,portman1 ,mr4 ,begich1 ,ms4 ,mikulski1
 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,bennet1 ,mr4       
,schumer1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,mr4 ,brown1  
,ms4 ,murkowski1 and ,mr4 ,lee7         
submitted the following resolution2     
which was considered and agreed to      
,,resolution  ,designating ,june #ai1   
#bjad1 as ,juneteenth ,independence ,day

 in recognition of ,june #ai1 #ahfe1 the
 day on which slavery legally came to an
 end in the ,united ,states4  ,whereas  
news of the end of slavery did not reach
 the frontier areas of the ,united      
,states1 in particular the ,state of    
,texas and other ,southwestern ,states1 
until months after the conclusion of the
 ,civil ,war1 more than #b years after  
,president ,abraham ,lincoln's          
,emancipation ,proclamation was issued  
on ,january #a1 #ahfc2 ,whereas1 on     
,june #ai1 #ahfe1 ,union soldiers1 led  
by ,major ,general ,gordon ,granger1    
arrived in ,galveston1 ,texas1 with news
 that the ,civil ,war had ended and that
 the enslaved were free2 ,whereas       
,african-,americans who had been slaves 
in the ,southwest celebrated ,june #ai1 
commonly known as ,juneteenth           
,independence ,day1 as inspiration and  
encouragement for future generations2   
,whereas ,african-,americans from the   
,southwest1 for nearly #aej years1 have 
continued the tradition of observing    

,juneteenth ,independence ,day2 ,whereas
 #dc ,states1 the ,district of          
,columbia1 and other countries1 have    
designated ,juneteenth ,independence    
,day as a special day of observance in  
recognition of the emancipation of all  
slaves in the ,united ,states2 ,whereas 
,juneteenth ,independence ,day          
celebrations have been held to honor    
,african-,american freedom while        
encouraging self-development and respect
 for all cultures2 ,whereas the faith   
and strength of character demonstrated  
by former slaves and their descendants  
remain an example for all people of the 
,united ,states1 regardless of          
background1 religion1 or race2 ,whereas 
slavery was not officially abolished    
until the ratification of the #acth     
,amendment to the ,united ,states       
,constitution in ,january #ahfe2        
,whereas ,frederick ,douglass1 born in  
the ,state of ,maryland in #ahah1       
escaped from slavery and became a       
leading writer1 orator1 publisher1 and  

one of the ,united ,states' most        
influential advocates for abolitionism  
and the equality of all people2 ,whereas
 ,frederick ,douglass was recognized for
 his accomplishments with a statue that 
was unveiled during a ceremony on ,june 
#ai1 #bjac1 in ,emancipation ,hall of   
the ,united ,states ,capitol2 ,whereas  
#bjad marks the #ejth anniversary of the
 passage of the ,civil ,rights ,act of  
#aifd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bjjj;a et seq471  
signed into law on ,july #b1 #aifd1 a   
milestone in providing equal protections
 for ,african-,americans1 including     
former slaves and their descendants2 and
 ,whereas1 over the course of its       
history1 the ,united ,states has grown  
into a symbol of democracy and freedom  
around the world3 ,now1 therefore1 be it
  ,that the ,senate--  7#a7 designates  
,june #ai1 #bjad1 as ,juneteenth        
,independence ,day2  7#b7 recognizes the
 historical significance of ,juneteenth 
,independence ,day to the ,united       
,states2  7#c7 supports the continued   

nationwide celebration of ,juneteenth   
,independence ,day to provide an        
opportunity for the people of the       
,united ,states to learn more about the 
past and to better understand the       
experiences that have shaped the ,united
 ,states2 and  7#d7 recognizes that the 
observance of the end of slavery is a   
part of the history and heritage of the 
,united ,states4