HomeMy WebLinkAboutPRO-2025-037-Abolition Day Proclamation ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING DECEMBER 6 , 2025 AS
ABOLITION DAY
WHEREAS , on the sixth day of December, 1865 , the 13th Amendment to the United
States Constitution was ratified , reading : " Neither slavery nor involuntary
servitude , except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have
been duly convicted , shall exist within the United States , or any place
subject to their jurisdiction thus legally abolishing slavery in the entire
United States ; and
WHEREAS , this historic act represented a monumental step forward in the pursuit of
human rights , yet the full promise of freedom and equality has yet to be
realized for Black Americans and other marginalized communities ; and
WHEREAS , the ratification of the 13th Amendment laid the groundwork for the
subsequent 14t" and 15t" constitutional amendments and later civil rights
legislation , it also gave rise to new systems of racial control through the
criminal punishment exception , including convict leasing , Jim Crow laws ,
and mass incarceration ; and
WHEREAS , the promise of abolition inspired generations of freedom movements — from
Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement , and onward to today 's
ongoing struggle for racial equity and justice ; and
WHEREAS , the journey to freedom has been and continues to be a protracted and
arduous journey, marked by resilience and resistance in the face of
violence , oppression , and systemic injustice ; and
WHEREAS , the abolition of slavery affirms our shared belief in the inherent worth and
dignity of every human being , and reminds us that progress toward justice
requires moral clarity, persistence , and collective action ; and
WHEREAS , historically marginalized and oppressed people nevertheless remain
resolute and emboldened by the spirit of their ancestors , continuing the
march toward true freedom , equity, and collective liberation ;
NOW, THEREFORE , we , the Orange County Board of Commissioners , do hereby
proclaim that December 6 , 2025 shall be recognized as ABOLITION DAY
throughout the County, and urge all residents to reflect upon this history
and to actively engage in the ongoing struggle to secure freedom , justic
and dignity for all people — locally, nationally, and globally.
This the 18t" day of November, 2025 .
Ja4ietta E6dford , Cha '
Orange County Board of Commissio rtt� :xr