Many thousands across the United States are expected on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth, an anniversary of the abolition of slavery, amplified in its significance and scale by a nationwide campaign against the remnants of racial discrimination
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th June, 2020) Many thousands across the United States are expected on Friday to celebrate Juneteenth, an anniversary of the abolition of slavery, amplified in its significance and scale by a nationwide campaign against the remnants of racial discrimination.
The tradition dates back to June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger of the United States Army marched into Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and the slaves were now free. It happened two years after President Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation.
Viewed initially as a largely communal commemoration, Juneteenth this year sees its status elevated as it coincides with waning, but still ongoing protests against police brutality over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Rayshard Brooks and other African Americans.
The date is recognized in 47 states and the District of Columbia, some, like Virginia, have recently moved to make it a paid public holiday. So did scores of major US companies for their employees, including Mastercard, Target, The New York Times, Twitter, Uber, Spotify, Nike, the National Football League.
Juneteenth is celebrated with festive meals, prayers and joyful gatherings. This year demonstrations of protest are expected throughout the country. Some localities, conversely, canceled annual parades because of the coronavirus pandemic, which disproportionately affects black communities.
A public outcry forced President Donald Trump to delay till Saturday his first post-quarantine election rally for it not to overlap with Juneteenth. He is also criticized for an insensitive venue choice - Tulsa, Oklahoma, where white mobs attacked black residents in 1921. The tragedy, which some historians believe may have claimed up to 300 lives, is lamented as the single worst incident of racial violence in American history.
