Ramsey County proclaims June 19, 2025, Juneteenth Freedom Day; Hallie Q. Brown honored

The Ramsey County Board of Commissioners on Thursday read and adopted a proclamation declaring June 19, 2025, Juneteenth Freedom Day in Ramsey County, honoring the legacy of enslaved people and the ongoing work for racial equity.

Chair Ortega opened the board’s ceremonial proceedings by reflecting on recent political violence and reading a family statement. “Hope and resilience are the enemy of fear,” Ortega read from a statement the family had issued, and the meeting held a moment of silence for the victims and the injured.

The proclamation was presented as part of a ceremony that included remarks from Commissioner Moran and County Deputy Manager Karen Francois and invited leaders of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center. Commissioner Moran, who led the reading of the proclamation, said Juneteenth “is about freedom, marking the days in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas were told they were free, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.”

The text adopted by the board recognizes the historical roots of Juneteenth, notes the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center’s nearly century-long role in education and cultural empowerment, and calls on residents to “reflect on the historical present-day fight for freedom and dignity, celebrate the cultural and civic contributions of African Americans, support organizations like Hallie Q. Brown Community Center that advance racial equity and community strength, and commit to actions that foster justice, inclusion, and the collective healing.”

Karen Francois, Deputy County Manager for Information and Public Records, described the county’s sponsorship of the event and thanked Hallie Q. Brown leaders. “I am also proud to serve as an executive sponsor of the Black Excellence Employee Resource Group,” Francois said, and thanked Benny Roberts and the center’s staff.

Benny Roberts, executive director of the Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, and Deborah Isabelle, the center’s board chair, joined elders and longtime residents at the dais. Debbie Montgomery, introduced as a former city council member and Rondo neighborhood descendant, and Nathaniel Kolig, described as a lifelong Rondo resident and long-time participant in center programs, addressed the board and audience about the center’s generational legacy.

The ceremony included a land acknowledgement from Commissioner McGuire noting the county is on Dakota ancestral land and references to the colors of the Pan-African flag, offered by Commissioner Moran, who described their symbolism during her remarks.

Following the proclamation and remarks, the board invited Hallie Q. Brown staff and community elders to introduce attendees and interns working with county departments this summer. The board then returned to administrative business.

The proclamation is ceremonial; the transcript records the board reading and adopting the proclamation during the meeting but does not show a separate roll-call vote recorded for that proclamation.

Community members, county staff and board members asked residents to participate in Juneteenth and related community events scheduled across the county.