City Council Meeting

Catherine ReadWe have a packed agenda tonight. I know that we are going to be hearing from a lot of the people who are in the room, and I would like to ask everyone that we all listen carefully and quietly of the speakers so that we can hear what it is that people have to say. I think it's important for everyone's voice to be heard tonight. If you are able and so choose, please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. I would like to ask the Juneteenth Committee to come down for the Juneteenth Proclamation down in the well. Proclamation is my favorite time of the evening.

Catherine ReadWhereas, Juneteenth has been celebrated by the African American community since the late 1800s, marking the anniversary of the arrival of Union General Gordon Granger to Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, bringing news of the Emancipation Proclamation enacted two and a half years earlier, freeing enslaved people from bondage. And whereas this year's theme of African Americans in labor holds special significance in our city and in Virginia, where so many of our treasured historic landmarks were built by the skills and labors of African Americans over hundreds of years, the contributions of black labor from Booker T. Washington to President Barack Obama have left an indelible imprint on this country,

enslavement to full citizenship through Reconstruction, the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement, to the Black Lives Matter protests and the ongoing quest for racial justice. What began with stolen lives and stolen labor in Virginia in 1619 and spread across the southern colonies and then the western United States, culminating in a civil war over establishment of free states or slave states, reached a turning point with the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865. Now therefore, I, Catherine S. Reed, Mayor of the City of Fairfax, in concert with the City Council, recognize June 19, 2025 as Juneteenth in the City of Fairfax, and urge our residents to join our Juneteenth celebration at Old Town Square on Saturday, June 14th at 10 a.m. Let's come

Stacey Hardy-Chandlerwell i just want to express my gratitude to my colleagues um i think uh june 10th is a bit of a milestone in terms of navigating some difficult things but doing so respectfully and i also feel very fortunate that i live in a city that is so engaged and that cares about what's happening i'd much rather have that than silence we can tolerate different perspectives and that's what makes us richer so it's hard but the good things are hard sometimes i do want to encourage people to attend the juneteenth celebration that's coming up that's also symbolic of so much of our history as not only a country but certainly our history as a city so i really want to encourage everyone in fairfax city to come out and celebrate freedom because that's what this is all about that's what

Anthony AmosSee, this is what y'all get for doing this to me. Anyway, and want to also say please attend the Juneteenth ceremony this Saturday. In addition to that, I think if they're still hosting at Mount Calvary is also hosting their own Juneteenth event following that one. So wanted to shout them out too. And in the spirit of Juneteenth, just always remember oppression is perpetuated in silence. And so there's a lot of suffering, a lot of fear-mongering, a lot of issues going on in the world today. So don't be afraid to speak up and advocate and volunteer. And we have such a passionate community. I just want to make sure that we continue to utilize that for good because I think we can do a lot of great things together.

Catherine ReadAll good advice. Yes, it's June 10th, and I think good work was done up here. I'm very proud of what we accomplished. It is Juneteenth. It's also Pride Month. Again, there's a lot of people in our community who need to feel seen and welcome and safe. It's some crazy times out there. I ask all of us to look out for our neighbors and to look out for the people in our community to make sure that the city really is a reflection of our values. And with that, we are adjourned at 11.26 p.m. on Tuesday.