Keizer proclaims Juneteenth; community advocate urges council to pair proclamation with concrete reform
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Summary
The council issued a Juneteenth proclamation; community advocate Julie Rayjoy accepted the proclamation but used the occasion to sharply criticize the council and city institutions, urging stronger oversight, diversity practices, and action on alleged ties to extremist events and racial bias in policing.
Keizer — The Keizer City Council proclaimed June 19, 2025, as Juneteenth at Monday’s meeting. Julie Rayjoy, founder of Black Joy Oregon and community advocate, accepted the proclamation but used her remarks to challenge the council to translate words into action on racial equity.
The proclamation text — read aloud at the dais — recognized June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, and declared the “immediate freedom of more than 250,000 enslaved African Americans in Texas,” and the city formally proclaimed 06/19/2025 as Juneteenth in Keizer.
Julie Rayjoy told the council she accepted the proclamation “not in celebration alone, but in protest and in principled confrontation” and pressed elected leaders to pair proclamations with structural reforms. Rayjoy criticized council actions she said had weakened channels for historically excluded voices — she said the city had “attempted to dismantle its diversity committee” and repeatedly bypassed qualified people of color for appointments. She also called for investigations into contracts that permit city‑affiliated facilities to host extremist events and urged independent oversight of the police department to address alleged racial bias.
Direct quotation: “A proclamation without action is performance, but paired with justice, it can be the first step towards reconciliation,” Rayjoy said.
Council response: Mayor Clark presented the proclamation and asked community members to come forward to receive it. No formal motion was required — proclamations are ceremonial actions adopted by the council and entered into the meeting record.
Next steps: Rayjoy urged several concrete steps including empowering the diversity committee with authority and accountability, transparent appointment processes that increase representation, investigating contracts that allow extremist events at city‑affiliated venues, and independent oversight of law enforcement. The council did not adopt those measures at the meeting but councilors and staff acknowledged the comments and accepted the proclamation into the record.
