Filed Under (Uncategorized) by admin on 10-06-2009
The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863. It took more than two years for the word to reach slaves in many Southern states.
Emancipation was generally the result of the arrival of the Union army in most states and this is why the dates of celebration cross state lines and are different.
It is celebrated on June 19 (commonly referred to as Juneteenth) in eastern Texas, western Louisiana, southwestern Arkansas and southern Oklahoma who have adopted that date as the official date of their independence.
Whether celebrated in May, August or even February Emancipation Day is a community event with speeches, fellowship, events and food.
It is a day to remember, reflect, and recognize the story of freedom.
