ENROLLED ORIGINAL
A CEREMONIAL RESOLUTION
25-76
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
June 6, 2023
To recognize and celebrate the inaugural Southwest Juneteenth Festival, to be held on Saturday,
June 17, 2023 at the historic Carron Baptist Church in Southwest, DC.
WHEREAS, Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States and a holiday in the
District of Columbia that commemorates the date of June 19, 1865, when those who were enslaved
in the state of Texas learned that they had been freed, more than 2 years after President Abraham
Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863;
WHEREAS, the inaugural Southwest Juneteenth Festival will be held on Saturday, June
17, 2023 at the historic Carron Baptist Church at 1354 First Street, SW, in the Southwest
community;
WHEREAS, the festival will engage residents from across the District, along with the
James Creek, Syphax Gardens, Greenleaf Gardens, Greenleaf Gardens Additions, Greenleaf
Gardens Extension, and Greenleaf Senior communities;
WHEREAS, the Southwest community has a storied history of Black leadership,
scholarship, achievement, and historical prominence;
WHEREAS, the site of the festival – Carron Baptist Church – is celebrating 95 years of
serving the District, and is led by the Rev. Peter J. Spann;
WHEREAS, the festival aligns with Carron Baptist Church’s mission and vision beyond
its walls as a faith-based anchor for local and community-wide residents;
WHEREAS, the festival will recognize the enslavement of Africans and African
Americans and celebrate their freedom through reflective conversations about Juneteenth, music,
dance, food, children’s activities, and a walking tour; and
WHEREAS, the festival will feature historian Louis C. Hicks, Jr. to lead festival goers in
dialogue about Juneteenth.
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 ENROLLED ORIGINAL
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
resolution may be cited as the “Southwest Juneteenth Festival Recognition Resolution of 2023”.
Sec. 2. The Council of the District of Columbia recognizes and celebrates the inaugural
Southwest Juneteenth Festival, to be held on Saturday, June 17, 2023 at the historic Carron Baptist
Church in Southwest, DC.
Sec. 3. This resolution shall take effect immediately.
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