Section 12-5-14 - Juneteenth Freedom Day established. - New Mexico Statutes

12-5-14. Juneteenth Freedom Day established.

The "Juneteenth Freedom Day" is created.  It shall be commemorated on the third Saturday in June of each year and be observed by:  

A.     reflecting on the history of African-American slavery in the United States; the experience of Africans  brought to the United States in a five- to twelve-week journey across the Atlantic; the deaths of thousands of Africans who died in inhuman conditions of passage; the abuse of African-American slaves, including whipping, castration, branding and rape; the importance of the Thirteenth Amendment of the United States constitution abolishing slavery throughout the United States and its territories; and the significance of June 19, 1865, the day on which the message of freedom and abolition reached the western states; and  

B.     recognizing the importance of Americans of African descent as American citizens and New Mexico residents.