Tumwater leaders read anti-hate resolution aloud, mayor proclaims Juneteenth

The Tumwater City Council read aloud Resolution R2024-015 reaffirming the city's commitment to equality, dignity and civil-rights protections and Mayor Debbie Sullivan proclaimed June 19, 2025, Juneteenth during the council meeting on June 17, 2025.

The reading of the December resolution and the Juneteenth proclamation were intended to make earlier actions more visible to the community, Council member Kelly von Holtz said. "Because it was part of the consent agenda, it wasn't read aloud. So the community didn't have an opportunity to hear its words spoken out loud," von Holtz said.

Dr. Thelma Jackson of the Thurston County NAACP, who accepted the proclamation on behalf of the Fred U. Harris Lodge, urged residents to remember the history behind Juneteenth. "Juneteenth...is so significant given the things that are going on in our nation right now," Jackson said, adding the day is a reminder of both the legacy of slavery and the continuing work of racial equity.

The resolution, numbered R2024-015 in council records, affirms the city's denunciation of hate, bigotry and discrimination and states that the city will review and revise policies and procedures as necessary to promote equity and protect civil rights. The text presented at the meeting lists protected categories and urges residents to report hate crimes; the resolution also notes exploratory work on creating an equity commission and references outreach resources posted on the city website.

Mayor Debbie Sullivan read the Juneteenth proclamation, which cites the Emancipation Proclamation and the historical June 19, 1865, announcement to formerly enslaved people in Galveston, Texas. Sullivan called on Tumwater residents "to join together on Juneteenth to reflect on the past, to commit together, to continue to eradicate systemic racism" and to work daily toward "collective prosperity and liberty."

City staff and council members said the decision to read the resolution aloud at this meeting was prompted by community requests and by NAACP outreach after the resolution's adoption on the consent calendar. Von Holtz and council staff emphasized that resolutions are typically included on consent agendas and not read in full unless requested; the council chose to present this text so residents could hear its language publicly.

Council and staff noted the resolution had been adopted unanimously at a prior meeting and that reading it aloud would improve public awareness. Dr. Jackson said the NAACP had asked local jurisdictions for proclamations and that putting the resolution text into the public record would allow community members to "know what was in that resolution." She also referenced the city's stated plan to develop an equity commission as part of the follow-up work mentioned in the resolution.

No formal vote on a new policy was taken at the June 17 meeting; the council's action at the session was the public reading of the previously adopted resolution and the mayoral proclamation for Juneteenth. Council members and staff said they expect continued engagement with community groups and follow-up work by staff on the equity commission and outreach efforts.