Juneteenth 2012

23rd Anniversary JUNETEENTH CULTURAL FESTIVAL

The Celebration of Juneteenth in Utah

Juneteenth is the celebration of the ending of slavery, whose official date is June 19th, 1865. If we agree that “all men are created equal” why wouldn’t we join together to celebrate the death of one of the most abject institutions ever known to man? I will celebrate Juneteenth, and I hope Utah chooses to as well.

On June 19, 1865, slaves in Galveston, Texas were notified, two years after Abraham Lincoln delivered the Emancipation Proclamation, that they were free. June 19th quickly became the day to celebrate the ending of slavery. Utah has celebrated Juneteenth formally for 18 years, and informally for much longer than that.