(a) June 19 of each year is designated Juneteenth in recognition of the historical pronouncement of the abolition of slavery on June 19, 1865, when the Emancipation Proclamation was said to have been first publicly read in Texas by Union soldiers led by General Granger. The announcement came 2-1/2 years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation and two months after General Lee’s surrender in April 1865. Juneteenth and emancipation celebrations have been commonplace in Minnesota since 1889 as a result of community-based grassroots efforts.

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(b) Each year the governor shall issue a proclamation honoring this observance and recognizing the important contributions African-Americans have made to Minnesota’s communities, culture, and economy. The governor may also take any additional action necessary to promote and encourage the observance of Juneteenth and public schools may offer instruction and programs on the occasion.