TODAY (June 17), President Biden signed into law JUNETEENTH to be a NATIONAL HOLIDAY (video of signing — with OPAL LEE in attendance!, here) — Colorado has observed Juneteenth on the state level since 2004. Scroll down for more about Juneteenth below the poster…
JUNETEENTH LEGACY PICNIC IN LONGMONT THIS SATURDAY!
Juneteenth Legacy Picnic, Saturday, June 19, 12:30–6pm, Willow Farm Park, 901 S. Fordham St, Longmont. To honor freedom of the slaves 2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Soul food will be available. $15 per adult, $8 per child 12 and under. Bring your own blanket or chair and your own non-alcoholic drinks. Bottled water provided. Neighborhood Park with open fields and creek, plus a playground and picnic areas. Wheelchair accessible, street and industrial lot parking close by, restrooms. NO GLASS, NO ALCOHOL. PARKING WILL BE LIMITED. Please RSVP to Longmont Juneteenth, here, preferably by Wednesday, June 16th. Call 303.775.7353 with questions. Wear masks and respect social distancing.
MORE ABOUT JUNETEENTH:
On June 19, 1865, about two months after the Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered at Appomattox, Va.,Gordon Granger, a Union general, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved African-Americans of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. General Granger’s announcement put into effect the Emancipation Proclamation, which had been issued more than two and a half years earlier on Jan. 1, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln. Colorado has recognized Juneteenth as a state holiday since 2004.
So You Want to Learn About Juneteenth?, here.
One Woman’s Quest To Make Juneteenth A National Holiday, here.
