June 19th is a very important day in the United States. June 19th, 1865, was the day news of the Emancipation Proclamation was at last delivered in Galveston, Texas by Union Army Major General Granger. While slavery had been abolished in the United States in 1863, in the pre-telephone/internet era of the 1800s, it took over two years for word to make it all the way to Texas. Juneteenth is observed in some way in 45 of the 50 US States. The holiday reminds America, when we celebrate Independence Day on July 4th, not all people living in this country in the mid-19th century were free.
In the above photo, the two African American women, walking along South Elm Street in their lovely dresses, are free to come and go as they please, and on their own terms. A few blocks north of where these women are walking, the International Civil Rights Center and Museum will host a Juneteenth event, called the Color of Commerce: A Celebration of Black Owned Businesses in the Triad. The event is free and open to the public, but you are encouraged to get tickets, here, in case there is a crowd that exceeds seating capacity. The event will help aspiring, new, and established business owners take their business to the next level. It will be held on June 25th from 6-8pm. Happy Juneteenth!
I've not heard a word about Juneteenth in this area. I'd guess we're one of those states that don't discuss things like slavery and the Emancipation Proclamation. Our governor and our Republican led legislature are still working deep into every night to try to stop our African American citizens from voting.
Posted by: Lowell | Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 08:37 AM
I was not familiar with the term, but I'm out of the country.
Posted by: William Kendall | Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 11:30 AM