Interim Gonzales Mayor Ryland Percy signed a proclamation Monday commemorating June 19 as Juneteenth in the City of Gonzales.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday recognizing the formal end of slavery in the United States, and Percy’s proclamation seeks to acknowledge the holiday’s significance in Gonzales and across the country, a news release said.
“Juneteenth is a day that symbolizes freedom and equality,” said Mayor Percy. “By commemorating this day, we recognize those who fought so bravely for these values and renew our commitment to ensuring equality and justice for all members of our community.”
The official Juneteenth holiday is celebrated on June 19 in the United States and honors the day on which, in 1865, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger led Union soldiers into Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and the Emancipation Proclamation had declared all enslaved people free.
In observance of Juneteenth, Gonzales City Hall will be closed Wednesday.
