Lincoln observes third annual Juneteenth Celebration

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[June 24, 2022]     On Sunday, members of the public gathered together at the Logan County Fairgrounds for the Third Annual Juneteenth observation in Lincoln.
 

The afternoon started with a march from Scully Park to the fairgrounds. The event had many sponsors. For the rest of the day, there were various speakers and performances with Tiffani Jackson serving as emcee. A number of small, African-American owned businesses from around central Illinois set up tables. There was a table with free books, as well as face-painting, coloring contests, and bounce houses for children and families.

But beyond all of that, it was a day for celebration. Juneteenth - sometimes called Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, or Emancipation Day - recognizes and celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. The day identifies the liberation of the last slaves in the United States in Texas.

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Additionally, Juneteenth commemorates the day that Union Army General Gordon Granger gave federal orders proclaiming that all slaves in Texas were free, nearly two-and-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

In recent years, both Illinois and the federal government recognized Juneteenth as official government holidays.

[Derek Hurley]

 

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