Page 14 - INSIDE ACCESS JUNE 21 3RD EDITION

FUN FACTS
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Following the issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation on
January 1, 1863, not all enslaved people immediately found freedom.
Juneteenth has been celebrated under many names. Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, and Cel-Liberation Day, Second Independence Day, and Emancipation Day to name a few.
Interesting Facts
about Juneteenth
Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African-American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1866.
Emancipation Park in Houston, Texas was bought specifically to celebrate
3 Juneteenth. The 10-acre parcel of land was purchased by former slaves,
Richard Allen, Richard Brock, Jack Yates, and Elias Dibble for $800 in 1872.
Celebrations of Juneteenth continue today. Traditions include public readings
of the Emancipation Proclamation, singing traditional songs, and reading of
4 works by noted African American writers. Celebrations can also take the form
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of rodeos, street fairs, cookouts, family reunions, park parties, historical reenactments, and Miss Juneteenth contests.
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, which officially made Juneteenth a federal holiday. This holiday is the first holiday to be approved since President Ronald Reagan signed a 1983 bill that approved Martin Luther King Jr. Day as a federal holiday.
PAGE 14 INSIDE ACCESS | JUNE 2021 3RD EDITION