2023 House Bill 4457 / Public Act 215

House Fiscal Agency Analysis

House Bill 4457 would create a new act to designate June 19 of each year as Juneteenth, in honor of the great moment in United States history when news of the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all slaves in Confederate-controlled areas were free, reached the state of Texas. In making this designation, the legislature would recognize that slavery existed in American history for more than 200 years, and that millions of Africans were brought to the Americas as captives and slaves, transported crammed and stacked into the bottom holds of ships in a 5- to 12-week journey across the Atlantic known as the “Middle Passage.” About 11.5 million African-Americans survived the voyage across the ocean—but the number of those who died was probably higher. Once in the United States, the slaves were subjected to whipping, castration, branding, and rape. The legislature would further observe that President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, and that spontaneous celebrations erupted throughout the United States over the following months as African-Americans learned of their freedom. However, news of the Emancipation Proclamation reached different states and regions at different times, and it was not until June 19, 1865, that the message of freedom reached the state of Texas. The legislature would encourage every individual in Michigan to pause on Juneteenth and reflect on the strong survival instinct of African-American slaves and the excitement and great joy with which African-Americans first celebrated the emancipation from slavery. The day would serve as a reminder to all Americans of the status and importance of Americans of African descent as American citizens.