“Juneteenth, or June 19th, became a federal holiday with the signing of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in 2021. The name, a mashup of “June” and “nineteenth,” harkens back to June 19, 1865, commonly cited as the end of slavery in the U.S.
The day has been celebrated in piecemeal fashion since 1865, particularly by Black Americans in the South and in Galveston, Texas, where a Union general rode in on that fateful day and told enslaved people they were free.
This year’s observance comes at a time when the current president is turning back or eliminating historical references to specific cultural and ethnic groups. Some planned celebrations have been cancelled around the country, according to Newsweek—but events planned in the Coachella Valley are still taking place. (See a list at the end of this story.)…”
[Read the full story at cvindependent.com]