The newest federal holiday is Juneteenth. Also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, it is celebrated on June 19.
Jerri Harwell, chair of the department of English, Linguistics and Writing Studies at Salt Lake Community College, joined us to tell us more about the holiday.
She says the name Juneteenth comes from a combination of the month of June and the date 19th, which was the date that the slaves on Galveston Island, Texas learned that they had been free as per Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation.
We know from US history that Lincoln issued two Emancipation Proclamations, one in 1863 which freed all the slaves in the rebellion states. The second one that ended slavery for all in 1865.
Salt Lake Community College is inviting the public to a Juneteenth Freedom Day Music Festival on June 20, 2023 from 6:00pm-9:00pm.
There will be music performances ranging from rap to drumming, a quintet and more.
It's happening on the Taylorsville Redwood Campus at the Alder Amphitheater.
You can learn more at slcc.edu/Juneteenth.
