Life in America is very different today than it was back on June 19, 1865, the day Maj.Gen. Gordon Granger landed at Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War had ended and the enslaved were now free.
Proving the American dream is very real, President Obama became the first black president 144 years later, giving the Pottsville area’s African-American community just one more reason to celebrate Juneteenth this year.
Hosted by the Martin Luther King Family Enrichment Center in Pottsville, more than 500 people are expected to gather for the carnival, which features speakers, music and food starting at noon Saturday at the Roundhouse at Seventh Street and Laurel Boulevard in Pottsville.
“Our theme this year is ‘Saluting Members of the Armed Forces Past and Present.’ We will also be providing a wall so that those in our community who may have a vet in their family or just know of one will be able to honor them as well,” said the Rev. Gloria Alexander, the Center’s executive director.
The last time the event was held in the city was 2007, hosted by the African American Heritage Coalition, which was renamed the Martin Luther King Family Enrichment Center in 2008, Alexander said.
The event will include guest speaker Joseph Becton, Philadelphia. A representative of the Pennsylvania Humanities Council, he will speak about African-Americans in the Civil War, Alexander said.
Musicians scheduled to perform that afternoon include rap artist Arson, Pottsville, and Power of Trust, Lancaster. There also will be more than 30 vendors, food and games, Alexander said.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States. The freeing of slaves in Texas took place more than two years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which became official Jan. 1, 1863.
“The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new executive order. However, with the surrender of Gen. Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of Gen. Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance,” Alexander said.
Celebration
� Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.
� From its 1865 origin in Galveston, Texas, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.
� Today, Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement.
Source: Juneteenth.com
BY STEPHEN J. PYTAK
STAFF WRITER
spytak@republicanherald.com
Published: Tuesday, June 16, 2009 4:12 AM EDT
Posted By: Daniel Moss
Tuesday, June 16th 2009 at 2:21PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...
