City proclaims June 19 as Juneteenth on Mercer Island

Published 1:30 pm Thursday, June 18, 2026

Mercer Island Mayor Dave Rosenbaum signed a proclamation noting that June 19 will be recognized as Juneteenth on Mercer Island.

City council approved the proclamation at its June 16 meeting and the agenda bill reads, in part: “Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19 to commemorate the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Congress passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in June 2021, and President Biden made Juneteenth a National Holiday on June 17, 2021. Juneteenth is a day to recognize the contributions that African Americans have made to our state, country, and community, a chance to reflect on the complex and painful history of our nation, and a reminder that we each hold a role in creating a more equitable and just society.”

The proclamation reads, in part: “President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, declaring the slaves in the Confederate territory free, paving the way for the passing of the 13th Amendment which formally abolished slavery in the United States of America. Word about the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation was delayed some two- and one-half years, until June 19, 1865, when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced the end of both the Civil Wars and slavery, by stating: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.”