HR0408 101ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0408 LRB101 12536 ALS 60878 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate the McLean County Historical Society/Bloomington-Normal Black History Project on the revitalization of its Juneteenth Celebration; and

WHEREAS, Dating back to 1865, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States; it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and the enslaved were now free; with this news, the Blacks went from shock to rejoicing and chose to celebrate their new-found freedom with inspirational speeches, songs, dances, and food that celebrated their heritage; and

WHEREAS, With the same spirit of the earlier celebrations, Bloomington-Normal held its first Juneteenth Celebration, sponsored by the Bloomington-Normal Black History Project, in 1993; and

WHEREAS, The Juneteenth Celebration acknowledges the contributions of African Americans in the community through history, music, dance, storytelling, speeches, and food and fellowship; and

WHEREAS, The McLean County Historical Society/Bloomington-Normal Black History Project is hosting its Juneteenth Celebration on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at Miller Park; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate the McLean County Historical Society/Bloomington-Normal Black History Project on the revitalization of its Juneteenth Celebration and commend its mission to enrich the community with the history of the Juneteenth Celebration; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented the McLean County Historical Society/Bloomington-Normal Black History Project as an expression of our esteem and respect.