| Celebration, reflection a part of Juneteenth events |
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| Wednesday, 13 June 2007 | |||
On June 19, 1865, Texas finally got the news the slaves had been freed — 18 months after the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect.
“It gives us an opportunity to reflect and it also gives us an opportunity to measure how far we've come. Each year is a measurement,” said Byron Miller, head of the San Antonio Juneteenth Association. “When we start looking at the accomplishments of those who came out of slavery, they really made monumental gains, but how fast are we moving now?” The Texas Legislature made June 19 a state holiday in 1979. While San Antonio's celebration hasn't yet reached the level of Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, the holiday has been gaining ground. This is the 12th year of the Juneteenth Picnic Festival and the eighth year of the Juneteenth Freedom Dinner and awards ceremony for community leaders. “When we first started, I lost tons of money, Byron lost tons of money, but it's getting to the point where everybody, not just black people, are finding some way to participate in Juneteenth,” said Kathy Clay-Little, publisher of African-American Reflections, which holds the Freedom Dinner. For more information on these events, call (210) 527-1830. Jessica Belasco | 210SA Contributor |
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