Mayor John Giles, City Council and community leaders gathered June 19 for a Juneteenth reception in downtown Mesa. The mayor presented a Juneteenth proclamation to the Mesa-East Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee.

“Mesa’s diversity is one of the strengths of our community, and I’m proud of the city’s work to advance issues of equity and ensure all people are treated fairly,” Giles said in a release. “Juneteenth is a monumental event in the history of America that reminds us not to lose focus on those values. I’m pleased to proclaim June 19 as Juneteenth Celebration Day in Mesa.”

The Juneteenth proclamation commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. June 19 marks the anniversary of Texas being the last state to have President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation announced in 1865, notifying enslaved people of their freedom.

“This Juneteenth proclamation carries the spirit of hope and an ongoing commitment to ensuring we all have the access and freedom to live, learn, earn, persevere and prosper in this society,” Keisha McKinnor, chair of the Mesa-East Valley Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Committee, said in the release. “It celebrates the amazing resiliency of Black Americans on our continual journey in the pursuit of liberty and equality.”

In 2016, Arizona became the 45th state to observe Juneteenth and declare it a holiday. In 2021, it became a federal holiday when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day into law.