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| THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA |
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| SENATE BILL |
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| INTRODUCED BY KITCHEN, WASHINGTON, WILLIAMS, O'PAKE, MELLOW, COSTA, HUGHES, GREENLEAF, ORIE, FERLO, BRUBAKER, TARTAGLIONE, FONTANA, STOUT, BOSCOLA, DINNIMAN, RAFFERTY, EARLL, WONDERLING AND VOGEL, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 |
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| REFERRED TO STATE GOVERNMENT, FEBRUARY 2, 2009 |
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| AN ACT |
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1 | Providing for the designation and holiday observance of June |
2 | 19th as "Juneteenth National Freedom Day." |
3 | The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
4 | hereby enacts as follows: |
5 | Section 1. Short title. |
6 | This act shall be known and may be cited as the Juneteenth |
7 | National Freedom Day Act. |
8 | Section 2. Legislative findings and declaration. |
9 | The General Assembly hereby finds and declares as follows: |
10 | (1) Originating in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, |
11 | when slaves in that state learned that they had been freed, |
12 | "Juneteenth National Freedom Day" is the oldest African- |
13 | American holiday observance in the United States. |
14 | (2) June 19th of each year is hereby designated as |
15 | "Juneteenth National Freedom Day" in Pennsylvania. |
16 | (3) "Juneteenth National Freedom Day" commemorates the |
17 | survival instinct of Africans who endured a transatlantic |
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1 | journey, known as the Middle Passage, on slave ships from |
2 | their homeland to this country. |
3 | (4) Approximately 11.5 million Africans survived the |
4 | harsh voyage to slave markets in the New World during the |
5 | late 17th century, and the slave population in the American |
6 | colonies grew quickly. |
7 | (5) "Juneteenth National Freedom Day" further |
8 | commemorates the impact of slavery, the abolition movement |
9 | and African-American emancipation in the United States and |
10 | has become a traditional celebration of independence, human |
11 | rights and African-American culture in many communities. |
12 | Section 3. Designation. |
13 | June 19th is designated as "Juneteenth National Freedom Day." |
14 | Section 4. Effective date. |
15 | This act shall take effect immediately. |
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