Juneteenth celebration recognizes vital gravity of Black American freedom
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
The FREE Scottsdale Community Juneteenth Celebration, presented by Mayo Clinic from 2 to 7 p.m. today, Saturday, June 17 at Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and Scottsdale Civic Center, 7380 E. Second St.
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City officials report the afternoon of culture, entertainment, music, wellness, presentations, and career opportunities includes a public art exhibit that commemorates the 900 days from the Emancipation Proclamation to when enslaved people were made aware that they had been freed and free admission to the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.
Juneteenth celebration recognizes vital gravity of Black American freedom
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the end of slavery, which President Joe Biden emboldened into federal law in calendar year 2021.
It is celebrated on June 19, the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, and announced that the Civil War had ended and that all enslaved people were free. Civil rights proponents contend Juneteenth is a time for African Americans to celebrate their history and culture, and for all Americans to reflect on the legacy of slavery and the ongoing fight for racial justice.
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
Dating from 1865, it was on June 19th that Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved African Americans in Texas, more than two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
The event today, which begins at 2 p.m. will feature special appearances by Coalition of Blacks Against Cancer, DJ Chris Mackey, Pretty Precise Step Team, Roney Jones Gospel Choir, and Steel Dads.
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