While Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation went into effect January 1, 1863, it wasn’t until two and a half years later on June 19, 1865, when slaves in Galveston, Texas, first learned from a group of Union soldiers led by Maj.
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“The celebration of Juneteenth recognizes that day, when Major General Granger publicly read ‘General Order No. 3, ‘ ostensibly freeing Texas slaves”, he said.
Juneteenth is the nation’s oldest celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States, according to the official Juneteenth website.
NAACP President Bennie Colbert says the organization hosts Juneteenth to celebrate the Emancipation Proclamation and the freedom it brought to so many people. “We are still traveling down that road but because of the extraordinary courage and compassion of some of our greatest citizens, we have come further than many ever imagined”.
The Annual Brownwood Juneteenth Celebration will be held on Friday, June 17 and Saturday, June 18th offering family friendly activities. The event will run from 11 a.m.to 5 p.m. Saturday in front of the First Baptist Church of Langhorne, 215 E. Richardson Ave.in Langhorne.
“I think it’s a good event, and Central Park is well-suited to it”, Dillon said.
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Both events will have music, raffles, food, and entertainment.
