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2006 SPECIAL SESSION I


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 5101
Commending the Mount Calvary Baptist Church Juneteenth celebration.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, June 20, 2006
Agreed to by the Senate, June 28, 2006

 

WHEREAS, Mount Calvary Baptist Church in DeWitt, located on Glebe Road, held its second annual Juneteenth celebration on June 17, 2006; and

WHEREAS, on June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger led Union soldiers into Galveston, Texas, bringing news that the Civil War had ended and that President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation declared all slaves to be free; and

WHEREAS, Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States, and its observance recognizes the many valuable contributions made by African Americans to our culture and to the vitality, success, and prosperity of our nation; and

WHEREAS, by celebrating Juneteenth, citizens are sensitized to the hardships, conditions, and life-altering experiences of others and hopefully made aware of many opportunities to make significant, just, and lasting improvements to society; and

WHEREAS, the Reverend Dr. Robert Jones, pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, began the Juneteenth celebration in 2005 as a service to the community and a vehicle for pride and unity in Dinwiddie County; and

WHEREAS, Juneteenth is observed by people of all races, nationalities, and religions, celebrating democracy’s sacred tenet of liberty and equality for every citizen; and

WHEREAS, Mount Calvary Baptist Church's Juneteenth celebration features activities and games, horse-drawn buggy rides, as well as African-American food, the singing of songs, and a solemn march from the intersection of Boydton Plank Road and First Street to the church grounds; and

WHEREAS, Juneteenth is a celebration of freedom and past, present, and future achievements, and a time for family gatherings, reflection, and acknowledgement of a vital and dynamic period in American history; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly commend the Mount Calvary Baptist Church Juneteenth celebration on June 17, 2006; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Dr. Robert Jones, pastor of Mount Calvary Baptist Church, as an expression of the General Assembly's appreciation of the significance and value of Juneteenth and best wishes for a memorable and successful event.