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Juneteenth (a portmanteau of June and nineteenth) – also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day – is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it is now celebrated annually on June 19th throughout the United States, with increasing official recognition. It is commemorated on the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865, announcement of General Order No. 3 by Union Army general Gordon Granger, proclaiming freedom from slavery in Texas.
President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation had officially outlawed slavery in Texas and the other states in rebellion against the Union almost two and a half years earlier. Enforcement of the Proclamation generally relied on the advance of Union troops. Texas, as the most remote of the slave states, had a low presence of Union troops as the American Civil War ended; thus enforcement there had been slow and inconsistent before Granger’s announcement. Although Juneteenth generally celebrates the end of slavery in the United States, it was still legal and practiced in two Union border states (Delaware and Kentucky) until later that year, when ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution abolished chattel slavery nationwide in December. Additionally, Indian Territories that had sided with the Confederacy, namely the Choctaw, did not release those enslaved until 1866. Celebrations date to 1866, at first involving church-centered community gatherings in Texas. It spread across the South and became more commercialized in the 1920s and 1930s, often centering on a food festival. During the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, it was eclipsed by the struggle for postwar civil rights, but grew in popularity again in the 1970s with a focus on African American freedom and arts.
Governor Cuomo signed S.8598/A.10628 descripting Juneteenth as an official public holiday in New York State to celebrate Black and African-American freedom and achievements while encouraging continuous self-development and respect for all cultures.
In anticipation of opening the pools at the former Kutz Camp this summer the Town is seeking young men and women as certified lifeguards. If interested please call 986-1120, ext. 241, to find out how to apply for this great summer employment opportunity.
We are still seeking suggestions for a new name for the former Kutz Camp property. If you would like to suggest a name please email it to townhall@townofwarwick.org.
The next regular meeting of the Town Board will be held on Thurs., June 24, at 7:30 p.m. in the Warwick Town Hall, 132 Kings Highway. Meeting can be viewed live on the Town of Warwick YouTube channel.
