On Friday, June 19, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay emailed all County employees in recognition of Juneteenth, its history and legacy.

“For me, Juneteenth is a reminder that the pursuit of freedom, opportunity, and justice for African Americans did not end in 1865,” Executive Zahilay wrote in his email. “Today, we honor the generations of African Americans who continued that pursuit long after June 19, 1865. People who organized, advocated, worshipped, taught, created, mentored, served, and led in their communities in the face of relentless resistance.”

Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when the last enslaved Black Americans in Galveston, Texas, were informed of their freedom — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Read the Executive’s full message.