Celebrations, protests mark Juneteenth in Philadelphia area
4 years, 6 months ago

Celebrations, protests mark Juneteenth in Philadelphia area

Associated Press  

PHILADELPHIA — Although Philadelphia’s biggest Juneteenth parade and festival was cancelled this year due to the coronavirus outbreak, several other celebrations popped up throughout the city on Friday as groups commemorated the date that enslaved African Americans were emancipated. Among them was a gathering in Philadelphia of roughly 200 people, mostly black men dressed in black T-shirts, who marched peacefully down several city streets before concluding the event at a nearby park. Meanwhile, many community and student-led groups held picnics or hosted other events — such as food drives— to promote freedom and community unity. President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation declaring all slaves free in Confederate territory on Sept. 22, 1862, but the news took time to travel.

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History of this topic

On Juneteenth, monument dedicated in Alabama to those who endured slavery
6 months ago

On Juneteenth, monument dedicated in Alabama to those who endured slavery

LA Times  

Visitors arrive at the National Monument to Freedom on Wednesday in Montgomery, Ala. The monument is inscribed with 122,000 surnames that formerly enslaved people chose for themselves after being emancipated at the Civil War’s end. The monument, which honors the people who endured and survived slavery, is the centerpiece of the new Freedom Monument Sculpture Park in Montgomery, Ala., where …

The beginner’s guide to celebrating Juneteenth
6 months ago

The beginner’s guide to celebrating Juneteenth

Associated Press  

For more than one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities. People who never gave the June 19 holiday more than a passing thought may be asking themselves, is there a “right” way to celebrate Juneteenth? But for non-Black people, if they could read on this topic and read on Black history beyond Martin Luther King …

What is Juneteenth? Know about federal holiday's origin history, significance and celebrations
6 months, 1 week ago

What is Juneteenth? Know about federal holiday's origin history, significance and celebrations

Hindustan Times  

Juneteenth, a day that marks the emancipation of enslaved Black Americans, is always observed on June 19 each year. Long a regional holiday in the South, Juneteenth rose in prominence across the country following 2020 protests over the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other African Americans. It commemorates the day in 1865 - after the …

Editorial: Juneteenth isn’t a holiday just for Black people. Everyone should celebrate freedom
6 months, 1 week ago

Editorial: Juneteenth isn’t a holiday just for Black people. Everyone should celebrate freedom

LA Times  

Juneteenth is no more a holiday just for Black people than the Fourth of July is a holiday just for white people. 3 telling the people of the westernmost Confederate state that “all slaves are free.” Although the Emancipation Proclamation had taken effect in 1863, it couldn’t be implemented until the Civil War ended and Confederate states surrendered. California’s lawmakers …

Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery
1 year, 6 months ago

Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery

LA Times  

Rose St. John, 1, plays with the Juneteenth flag during a celebration at Black Lives Matter Plaza in Washington on Monday. Americans celebrated Juneteenth across the country over the long weekend, marking the relatively new national holiday with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War. “Is #Juneteenth the only federal holiday …

The Obamas, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kerry Washington mark Juneteenth: ‘Lean into your liberation’
1 year, 6 months ago

The Obamas, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Kerry Washington mark Juneteenth: ‘Lean into your liberation’

LA Times  

Kerry Washington, left, former President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and Sheryl Lee Ralph. “Abbott Elementary” actor Sheryl Lee Ralph spent Sunday at Philadelphia’s Juneteenth Parade and Festival. She tweeted that the festivities — with food, floats and music — were “a wonderful celebration of freedom, free of chaos and full of love and community spirit!” Former President Obama …

Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery
1 year, 6 months ago

Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery

Associated Press  

Americans across the country this weekend celebrated Juneteenth, marking the relatively new national holiday with cookouts, parades and other gatherings as they commemorated the end of slavery after the Civil War. “Is #Juneteenth the only federal holiday that some states have banned the teaching of its history and significance?” author Michelle Duster asked on Twitter, referring to measures in Florida, …

A beginner’s guide to Juneteenth: How can all Americans celebrate?
1 year, 6 months ago

A beginner’s guide to Juneteenth: How can all Americans celebrate?

Associated Press  

For more than one-and-a-half centuries, the Juneteenth holiday has been sacred to many Black communities. “It’s where I began to really see Black unity because I realized that that was the one day that African Americans considered ours,” Freeman said. “If I can unite Father’s Day and Juneteenth to be with my family and honor them, that would be wonderful,” …

The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday
1 year, 6 months ago

The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday

LA Times  

People hold a sign about Juneteenth during a parade in Inglewood in 2021, the year it was made a federal holiday. The U.S. government was slow to embrace the occasion — it was only in 2021 that President Biden signed a bill passed by Congress to set aside Juneteenth, or June 19th, as a federal holiday. It’s a portmanteau blending …

Biden celebrates Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, at the White House
1 year, 6 months ago

Biden celebrates Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, at the White House

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden hosted a massive concert on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate Juneteenth, the country’s newest federal holiday which the president said will “breathe a new life in the very essence of America.” “To me, making Juneteenth a federal holiday wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. It was a statement of fact for this …

The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday
1 year, 6 months ago

The story behind Juneteenth and how it became a federal holiday

Associated Press  

Many Americans are celebrating Juneteenth, marking the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. And just as many people learn what Juneteenth is all about, the holiday’s traditions are facing new pressures — political rhetoric condemning efforts to teach Americans about the nation’s racial history, companies using the holiday as a …

Juneteenth celebrations emphasize ending racial disparities
2 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth celebrations emphasize ending racial disparities

Associated Press  

DALLAS — After Opal Lee led hundreds in a walk through her Texas hometown to celebrate Juneteenth this weekend, the 95-year-old Black woman who helped successfully push for the holiday to get national recognition said it’s important that people learn the history behind it. “We need to know so people can heal from it and never let it happen again,” …

Juneteenth celebrations emphasize ending racial disparities
2 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth celebrations emphasize ending racial disparities

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy After Opal Lee led hundreds …

Los Angeles mayor proclaims Juneteenth official city holiday
2 years, 6 months ago

Los Angeles mayor proclaims Juneteenth official city holiday

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Monday signed a proclamation making Juneteenth an official city holiday to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. The Los Angeles proclamation makes it a paid holiday for all city employees. The LA City Council voted unanimously in 2020 to start the process of making Juneteenth a Los Angeles …

'It's starting to recognise the African American experience': Black community marks new Juneteenth holiday
3 years, 6 months ago

'It's starting to recognise the African American experience': Black community marks new Juneteenth holiday

Firstpost  

A Juneteenth parade was held in Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb that is using tax revenue from marijuana sales to offer housing grants to Black residents for past discrimination and the lingering effects of slavery. “But we still have a long way to go.” In Detroit, which is about 80 percent Black, students from University Prep Art & Design School …

Juneteenth, recalling end of slavery, is marked across US
3 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth, recalling end of slavery, is marked across US

Associated Press  

Parades, picnics and lessons in history were offered Saturday to commemorate Juneteenth in the U.S., a day that carried even more significance after Congress and President Joe Biden created a federal holiday to observe the end of slavery. “But we still have a long way to go.” In Detroit, which is about 80% Black, students from University Prep Art & …

Trump changed date of Tulsa rally after black Secret Serviceman told him of Juneteenth holiday
3 years, 6 months ago

Trump changed date of Tulsa rally after black Secret Serviceman told him of Juneteenth holiday

Daily Mail  

Juneteenth has been considered America's 'second independence day' since June 19, 1865, when Union Army General George Granger walked into Galveston and declared the last slaves in Texas free Juneteenth, the day marking the emancipation of slaves in the US, was made a federal holiday last year. President Joe Biden put pen to paper at the White House last June …

Federal holiday pressures US companies to give Juneteenth off
3 years, 6 months ago

Federal holiday pressures US companies to give Juneteenth off

India TV News  

The declaration of Juneteenth as a federal holiday is putting the pressure on more US companies to give their employees the day off, accelerating a movement that took off last year in response to the racial justice protests that swept the country. But since many workers don't know that, they will likely wonder why they are not getting a paid …

Why we need a Juneteenth holiday
3 years, 6 months ago

Why we need a Juneteenth holiday

Al Jazeera  

This holiday provides Americans with an opportunity to look at history from the point of view of the oppressed. Given Bethanien’s long history as a hub of progressive politics, it was a fitting place for people to celebrate Black American liberation. Activists not only demand the nation at large to acknowledge the legacy of slavery and the psychological, material and …

Explainer: With US Prez Joe Biden declaring 19 June a federal holiday, understanding the significance of Juneteenth
3 years, 6 months ago

Explainer: With US Prez Joe Biden declaring 19 June a federal holiday, understanding the significance of Juneteenth

Firstpost  

The vast majority of states recognise Juneteenth as a holiday or a day of recognition, like Flag Day, and most states hold celebrations. This year on 17 June, United States President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris signed a bill into law declaring 19 June as a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of the Black Americans and the end …

Black Americans laud Juneteenth holiday, say more work ahead
3 years, 6 months ago

Black Americans laud Juneteenth holiday, say more work ahead

India TV News  

Black Americans rejoiced Thursday after President Joe Biden made Juneteenth a federal holiday, but some said that, while they appreciated the recognition at a time of racial reckoning in America, more is needed to change policies that disadvantage too many of their brethren. Grant said she was delighted by the quick vote this week by Congress to make Juneteenth a …

Juneteenth is in its 156th year. Many Americans are just beginning to celebrate it
3 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth is in its 156th year. Many Americans are just beginning to celebrate it

LA Times  

Sam Collins III, left, and others celebrate at the Juneteenth historical marker in Galveston, Texas, after President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law on June 17, 2021. “I had no idea it was our Independence Day.” This year, Whitehead, who now lives in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and runs a fashion label for Black women, is giving …

Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. Many Americans still get the history wrong
3 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth is now a federal holiday. Many Americans still get the history wrong

LA Times  

President Biden hands a pen to Rep. Barbara Lee during the signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in the East Room of the White House. The holiday is about the moment on June 19, 1865, when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger told Texans that the Civil War was over and shared news of emancipation, reading aloud an order …

US Congress votes to make Juneteenth, end of slavery, a holiday
3 years, 6 months ago

US Congress votes to make Juneteenth, end of slavery, a holiday

Raw Story  

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday to create a federal holiday commemorating Juneteenth, which until now has been the unofficial fete marking the end of slavery in the United States. Most US states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or officially observe the day, but the bill passed by Congress would make Juneteenth the 12th US federal holiday -- and …

Congress approves bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday
3 years, 6 months ago

Congress approves bill to make Juneteenth a federal holiday

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The United States will soon have a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery. “Our federal holidays are purposely few in number and recognize the most important milestones,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. “I cannot think of a more important milestone to commemorate than the end of slavery in the United States.” Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, …

The story of Juneteenth, the new U.S. federal holiday
3 years, 6 months ago

The story of Juneteenth, the new U.S. federal holiday

LA Times  

President Joe Biden signs the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, June 17, 2021, in Washington. The term Juneteenth is a blend of the words “June” and “nineteenth.” The holiday has also been called Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day. The national reckoning over race in the last year helped set the …

Juneteenth national holiday is now US law, marks end of slavery
3 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth national holiday is now US law, marks end of slavery

Al Jazeera  

Long drive to make June 19 a national holiday succeeds amid the US’s new reckoning with its history of racism. President Joe Biden signed a law making Juneteenth a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States as the nation continues enacting change amid a racial reckoning. “Today we consecrate Juneteenth for what it ought to be, …

Museum to show Emancipation Proclamation to mark Juneteenth
3 years, 6 months ago

Museum to show Emancipation Proclamation to mark Juneteenth

Associated Press  

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield will mark Juneteenth — the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States — by displaying a rare signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. The original document is kept in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Juneteenth — also known as Emancipation Day and Freedom Day …

Black Lives Matter: Beyonce releases new song ‘Black Parade’, creates directory of black owned businesses with Zerina Akers
4 years, 6 months ago

Black Lives Matter: Beyonce releases new song ‘Black Parade’, creates directory of black owned businesses with Zerina Akers

Hindustan Times  

Beyoncé has been a longtime advocate of Black rights and also a promoter of ‘Black excellence’, the 38-year-old entrepreneur and singer recently spoke about the Black Lives Matter movement, George Floyd’s death, other victims of police brutality as she addressed the Class of 2020 during a virtual ceremony hosted on YouTube. It has left the entire country searching for answers.” …

Juneteenth takes on new meaning amid push for racial justice
4 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth takes on new meaning amid push for racial justice

Associated Press  

DETROIT — Protesters marched over the Brooklyn Bridge, chanted “We want justice now!” near St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, stopped work at West Coast ports and paused for a moment of silence at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, as Americans marked Juneteenth with new urgency Friday amid a nationwide push for racial justice. In California’s Port of Oakland, …

Protesters topple Confederate statues during Juneteenth rallies
4 years, 6 months ago

Protesters topple Confederate statues during Juneteenth rallies

Al Jazeera  

Demonstrations held across US against backdrop of protests fuelled by deaths of African Americans at hands of police. More: In a stark illustration of the tensions roiling the nation, President Donald Trump issued a solemn White House statement commemorating Juneteenth, while also threatening protesters on Twitter ahead of his controversial rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Saturday. The US has been …

Won’t ‘let this slide': Hundreds gather for Juneteenth event
4 years, 6 months ago

Won’t ‘let this slide': Hundreds gather for Juneteenth event

Associated Press  

DETROIT — Hundreds of people gathered in Detroit on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth and call for racial justice in the city and beyond. “Now we have the attention of the world, and we are not going to let this slide,” said Charity Dean, director of the city’s office of Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity. Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when …

Unrest and virus make Juneteenth activist and reflective
4 years, 6 months ago

Unrest and virus make Juneteenth activist and reflective

Associated Press  

In years past, Christopher Johnson saw Juneteenth as a celebration, a symbol that African Americans had moved past the “stain” of racism and slavery. “For us it’s a reminder that every generation has to fight for their freedom,” Johnson said, “that freedom is never really won.” Normally religious communities mark Juneteenth with worship services, fellowship, service projects, parades and picnics. …

Juneteenth: A day of joy and pain - and now national action
4 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth: A day of joy and pain - and now national action

Associated Press  

In just about any other year, Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved black people learned they had been freed from bondage, would be marked by African American families across the nation with a cookout, a parade, a community festival, a soulful rendition of “Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing.” But in 2020, as the coronavirus ravishes …

What Is Juneteenth? Historians Explain The Holiday's Importance
4 years, 6 months ago

What Is Juneteenth? Historians Explain The Holiday's Importance

NPR  

Historians Explain The Holiday's Importance When President Trump initially planned a rally in Tulsa, Okla., on June 19, some Americans were outraged. Let's talk about why that is with professor Daina Ramey Berry, who's an author and historian at the University of Texas in Austin. My co-host, Rachel Martin, tweeted out the other day, I am genuinely curious to know …

Juneteenth: A call for progress and national recognition
4 years, 6 months ago

Juneteenth: A call for progress and national recognition

Al Jazeera  

As calls for structural change grow, the US is pondering recognition of a Black holiday that celebrates emancipation. In just about any other year, Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed from bondage, would be marked by African American families across the nation with a cookout, a parade, a …

Calls To Make Juneteenth A Federal Holiday Gain Momentum
4 years, 6 months ago

Calls To Make Juneteenth A Federal Holiday Gain Momentum

NPR  

Calls To Make Juneteenth A Federal Holiday Gain Momentum Enlarge this image toggle caption Dylan Buell/Getty Images for VIBE Dylan Buell/Getty Images for VIBE Corporate executives and sports officials are joining a growing number of elected officials who want to recognize Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the end of slavery, as an official U.S. holiday. Sponsor Message National One Woman's …

Celebrating Juneteenth: A Reading Of The Emancipation Proclamation
4 years, 6 months ago

Celebrating Juneteenth: A Reading Of The Emancipation Proclamation

NPR  

Celebrating Juneteenth: A Reading Of The Emancipation Proclamation Enlarge this image toggle caption Brooks Kraft/Corbis via Getty Images Brooks Kraft/Corbis via Getty Images Juneteenth is getting unusually widespread attention this year, as Americans protest police brutality and racism. Whereas, on the twenty-second day of September, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-two, a proclamation was …

US slavery: What is Juneteenth and how is it commemorated?
4 years, 6 months ago

US slavery: What is Juneteenth and how is it commemorated?

Al Jazeera  

A look at the African American commemoration day amid sky-high tension over race relations in the United States. Juneteenth, a blend of June and 19th, commemorates the US abolition of slavery under President Abraham Lincoln’s 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, belatedly announced by a Union army in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, after the Civil War ended. Critics said staging the …

Lee to sign Juneteenth proclamation
4 years, 6 months ago

Lee to sign Juneteenth proclamation

Associated Press  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Gov. Bill Lee announced Thursday that he will sign a proclamation recognizing Juneteenth, the cultural holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved black people in the United States. Currently, state law designates a handful of days for special observance: Robert E. Lee Day, Abraham Lincoln Day, Andrew Jackson Day, Confederate Decoration Day, Nathan Bedford Forrest Day and Veterans’ …

AP Explains: Juneteenth marks day last enslaved people freed
4 years, 6 months ago

AP Explains: Juneteenth marks day last enslaved people freed

Associated Press  

Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free 155 years ago. Confederate soldiers surrendered in April 1865, but word didn’t reach the last enslaved black people until June 19, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to Galveston, Texas. Early Juneteenth celebrations were mostly cookouts or barbecues, said Robert Widell Jr., a professor of African …

The Hindu Explains | What is Juneteenth?
4 years, 6 months ago

The Hindu Explains | What is Juneteenth?

The Hindu  

Juneteenth is a holiday to mark June 19th, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned – from the Union army – that they were free. On January 1 1963, almost three years into the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that all who were held as slaves within the “rebellious” states, “are, and henceforward shall …

Before Juneteenth was widely known, here’s how Black Angelenos celebrated emancipation
4 years, 6 months ago

Before Juneteenth was widely known, here’s how Black Angelenos celebrated emancipation

LA Times  

The listing that ran in the Dec. 31, 1874, edition of the Los Angeles Herald was as short as it was dismissive. “Just being together informally was a form of emancipation.” Blurb for Emancipation Day festivities in Nov. 14, 1885 edition of Los Angeles Times Eventually, Jan. 1 became the most popular date to celebrate as L.A.’s Black population grew …

Virginia governor to propose Juneteenth as state holiday
4 years, 6 months ago

Virginia governor to propose Juneteenth as state holiday

Associated Press  

RICHMOND, Va. — Virginia Gov. “Not just a celebration by and for some Virginians but one acknowledged and celebrated by all of us.” The Democratic governor is giving every executive branch employee this Friday off as a paid holiday and will work with the legislature later this year to pass a law codifying Juneteenth as a permanent state holiday. The …

JUNETEENTH: WHEN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY SURRENDERED
4 years, 6 months ago

JUNETEENTH: WHEN THE CONFEDERATE ARMY SURRENDERED

Daily Mail  

Juneteenth has been considered America's 'second independence day' since June 19, 1865, when Union Army General George Granger walked into Galveston and declared the last slaves in Texas free Juneteenth, the day marking the emancipation of slaves in the US, was made a federal holiday last year. President Joe Biden put pen to paper at the White House last June …

Make Juneteenth a national holiday now (opinion)
4 years, 6 months ago

Make Juneteenth a national holiday now (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Peniel Joseph is the Barbara Jordan chair in ethics and political values and the founding director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, where he is also a professor of history. Peniel Joseph Kelvin Ma/Tufts University A national holiday commemorating Juneteenth …

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