Marin County Board proclaims June 19 Juneteenth Independence Day; adopts resolution

The Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a resolution recognizing June 19, 2025, as Juneteenth Independence Day and honoring black excellence, the board announced Tuesday morning.

The resolution, read into the record at the start of the meeting, states that Juneteenth commemorates the arrival in Galveston Bay on June 19, 1865, when Union troops announced the end of slavery to about 250,000 enslaved people in Texas, and urges Marin County residents to “stand against prejudice” and support “fair and just treatment and dignity of every human being.” The motion to adopt the resolution was made by Supervisor Rodoni and seconded by Supervisor Milton Peters; the board vote was recorded as unanimous.

The adoption follows public remarks to the board from members of the County of Marin African Ancestry Employees Association (COMEA) and community members. Komeya, speaking on behalf of the association, told the board that “Juneteenth stands as a powerful reminder of liberation” and urged county leaders to treat liberation as an ongoing project, not a single event. Latoya Webb, identified as COMEA board president and a Health and Human Services staff member, told the board that “freedom was delayed, justice has been denied and equity remains unfinished,” and called for policy changes rather than symbolic gestures.

Board members framed the vote as both celebratory and a call to ongoing work. Supervisor Colbert said the county must ensure Juneteenth does not become merely “another date on the commercial calendar,” and urged the board and community to make it “a day of learning and deep reflection.” Supervisor Milton Peters described concrete housing work in Marin City and reminded the public of the county’s recent investments in public-housing renovation and local service coordination.

County Executive Derek Johnson also thanked COMEA and county employees for organizing the commemoration and said the county will continue work on equity and inclusion. He noted separate county efforts to prepare for possible civil disturbances outside Marin, and reiterated the county’s emphasis on safety and communication for all residents.

The board invited the resolution proponents to receive the proclamation at the dais after the vote. The resolution text and a recording of the meeting will be added to the county’s public record for the June 10, 2025, board meeting.

The board’s action is declaratory (a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth and affirming policy commitments) and does not itself create a new county program or change benefits or holidays for county employees; any such changes would require separate board action and, where required, collective-bargaining notice and processes.