By Carol Tannenhauser
Friday, June 19th, is Juneteenth, the anniversary of the day in 1865 when word of the Union’s victory in the Civil War reached Galveston, Texas. It was two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued – but the first time that approximately 250,000 enslaved Black people were informed that they were free.
Many consider Juneteenth “the true end of slavery in the United States,” writes JuneteenthNYC. It officially became a federal holiday after former President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, on June 17, 2021. Its future has been in doubt, however, since President Donald Trump issued an executive order, effective January 1, 2026, “canceling fee-free days at national parks for both Martin Luther King Day and Juneteenth.” Trump apparently had the authority to eliminate the free entry to national parks, but reversing the federal holiday would require an act of Congress.
And so for many, schoolchildren included, Friday is the start of a three-day weekend. Most non-essential federal workers will have a paid day off, and post offices, banks, and courts will be closed. The United States Postal Service will not be delivering, but FedEx locations will be open, as well as many retail stores.
If you’re in town, the day will be celebrated in two iconic Upper West Side locations, both on Friday night. The annual Juneteenth festivities at Lincoln Center return this year with “Oh Sankofa!,” held at Hearst Plaza, on 65th Street between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, at 7:00 p.m. This free event honors African and African-American folklore through storytelling, choral performances, live jazz music, and modern dance. For information about how to attend, click – HERE.
There will also be a free concert at SummerStage in Central Park at the Rumsey Playfield, located at East 71st Street and East Drive. Featuring performances by Ja Rule, LeToya Luckett, and DJ Kid Capri, “it brings together culture, music, civic engagement, and public dialogue around some of the most consequential racial justice initiatives in New York City’s history,” according to a press release from the NYC Commission on Racial Equity, which is co-hosting. Doors will open at 5 p.m.
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Anyone who considers Juneteenth “the true end of slavery in the United States,” is lacking in knowledge of US history. Slavery was still alive and well in the border states when the forner slaves in Galveston learned they were free.
Slavery is still prevalent in the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia . . . . Yet no protests. Weird, right?