Photo courtesy Sisters From AARP

Juneteenth Federal Holiday Celebrations Will Be Jumping in These Cities

From Sisters From AARP:
“On Thursday, June 17, 2021, President Biden signed a bill into law certifying the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day became one in 1983. Juneteenth (short for June 19) commemorates the date slavery was abolished in Texas and marks the official end of slavery in the U.S. Although President Abraham Lincoln declared in his Emancipation Proclamation that as of January 1, 1863, all enslaved people living in Confederate states were free, somehow that news did not reach Texas until June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston.

Last year, federal employees were notified the day before that they’d be enjoying a long weekend, so many celebrations for what is also called Jubilee Day, Freedom Day and Emancipation Day were spur-of-the-moment. This year will be different! Festivities and observances are planned nationwide. Since the South is where the tradition started and where our ancestors fought for freedom, Sisters picked five Southern cities with festive Juneteenth activities planned (scheduled between June 17 and 19, 2022, unless otherwise noted) and other cultural highlights. But this is a small sampling of festivals and events taking place across America. If you’re not planning a long weekend out of town, check your local news site for activities.”

Read the full article on Sisters From AARP

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