Mississippi was the 36th state to commemorate June 19 as “Juneteenth Freedom Day,” as a result of Senator Willie Simmons’ 2010 S.C.R. 605. As of February 15, 2012, 40 states have given this day the acknowledgement it deserves. In 1980, Texas was the first state to affirm Juneteenth as an official state holiday, and remains the only state to have done so. Since 1997, the U.S. Congress has passed seven joint resolutions recognizing Juneteenth, plus an apology for slavery (2000), another for lynching (2005), and another for Jim Crow (2008). These apologies cannot undo the past, but they have hopefully begun to heal some of our country’s war wounds.
“Juneteenth has never been celebrated in the White House,” states Dr. Myers. Thousands of petitions [sic] have been sent to the White House urging President Barack Obama to make Juneteenth a National Day of Observance. Dr. Myers has said, “We are not asking for a paid federal holiday, which will be a burden on our tax-payers, but a National Day of Observance like Flag Day or Patriot Day.”
On Friday, June 22nd, a parade will be held in Oxford in observance of Juneteenth. It will begin at 7 pm at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Washington Avenue, head down Price Street to Molly Barr Road, and will end at the same spot it began.
The following day, on Saturday, June 23rd (from 4 – 8 pm), the Martin Luther King community (Oxford’s “Freedmen Town”), will be holding a FREE event for the entire Oxford community. Brandy Rucker let us know there will be number of activities for kids, including a waterslide, a moon bounce, an art tent, and more. There will be free food and drinks for all who attend (nothing for sale!), from over 30 vendors. Entertainment will also be provided all evening, including the Panola County Steppers, Jerome Smith, Elsie Burt (jazz), Derrick Redmond (country), and more!
SIGN THE CURRENT PETITION at
www.change.org/petitions/juneteenth-national-holiday-observance
This article was published in The Local Voice #158 (June 14-28, 2012)…Click here to download the PDF of issue #158.