On Juneteenth, monument dedicated in Alabama to those who endured slavery
The Equal Justice Initiative nonprofit invoked the Juneteenth holiday as it dedicated a monument that honors the people who endured and survived slavery.
Florida Black Excellence Fest kicks off with Top 20 Under 40 Breakfast
Nearly two dozen young people of color were recognized Wednesday for the work they do in the community as part of a celebration on Juneteenth in Jacksonville.
โItโs an expressionโ: Local activists light bridge red, black and green for Juneteenth despite state directive
The Northside Coalition, a local civil rights group, lined the Main Street Bridge to light it red, black and green for Juneteenth on Wednesday night
High rip current risk has experts urging everyone to stay out of the water
The National Weather Service says there will be a high rip current risk Wednesday and Thursday for all beaches in Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia.
Relocated civil rights landmark with ties to Martin Luther King Jr. dedicated with Juneteenth ribbon cutting
St. Johns County plans to celebrate Juneteenth with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday for a civil rights landmark in St. Augustine.
Scorching temperatures, humidity making life miserable for millions from Midwest to Maine
A blistering heat wave stretching from the Midwest to the tip of Maine is leaving millions of people sweltering through the Juneteenth holiday.
City to uplift diversity with new African American Advisory Board announced at Juneteenth commemoration
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan named 11 people to sit on the inaugural Mayoral Advisory Board for African Americans.
Juneteenth celebrations across Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia bring community together
Celebrations took place all across Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia this weekend ahead of Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the emancipation of those who were enslaved in the United States.
Lincolnville Juneteenth festival will celebrate 60 years of civil rights in St. Augustine
The Lincolnville Juneteenth Community Festival is hosting its annual celebration to honor civil rights in St. Augustine on Saturday, June 15.
Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle join Biden for early Juneteenth celebration on White House lawn
President Joe Biden has celebrated the Juneteenth holiday early with a concert on the White House South Lawn.
โI just love itโ: 10-year-old Jacksonville girl competes in Jacksonville Juneteenth Rodeo
Thousands of people filled the Jacksonville Equestrian Center to cheer on African-American cowboys and cowgirls as they showcased their talents.
Kentucky governor takes action on Juneteenth holiday and against discrimination based on hairstyles
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has designated Juneteenth as a holiday for state executive branch workers.
Squeezing in one last summer trip over Labor Day weekend? Expect crowded airports and full flights
If you're squeezing in one last summer trip over the Labor Day weekend, expect lots of company.
Gatherings combining Pride and Juneteenth give Black LGBTQ+ people a refuge where they can celebrate
From a block party in New York City to a movie screening outside of Denver, groups across the U.S. have found ways to merge Pride month and Juneteenth celebrations.
First Black sheriff of Jacksonville pens autobiography to share his journey, inspire others
Former Jacksonville Sheriff Nat Glover is a River City icon, a heroic character โ and a man who once was in trouble with the law but got a second chance to tell his story.
The history of Lincolnville: Juneteenth festival celebrates historic community in St. Augustine
Multiple Juneteenth celebrations were held Monday โ including a festival โ to celebrate freedom and community.
โFreedom Riders of this generationโ: Mobile bus tour rolling through Florida rallies voters to โStay Wokeโ
Dozens are spending Juneteenth on the road encouraging supporters to โStay Wokeโ and pushing back against laws affecting diversity, equity and inclusion, LGBTQ+ issues and gun laws.
Celebrating Black history: The unknown facts about Juneteenth
Juneteenth is all about celebrating Black culture, history, and life, bringing people together to honor all those who came before us and fought for the rights and privileges we hold today.
Americans mark Juneteenth with parties, events and quiet reflection on the end of slavery
Americans across the country are observing the relatively new Juneteenth federal holiday with festivals, parades, cookouts and other gatherings.
Family suing San Diego cemetery after remains of Juneteenth trailblazer missing from burial plot
Relatives of a late Black businessman who helped popularize Juneteenth in San Diego are suing a cemetery after his remains were reported missing from the familyโs burial plot.
Parking lot party shooting leaves 1 dead and at least 22 people hurt in suburban Chicago
Authorities say one person is dead and at least 22 are wounded in suburban Chicago after a shooting early Sunday during a large gathering in a strip mall parking lot.
Biden celebrates Juneteenth, the newest federal holiday, at the White House
President Joe Biden hosted a massive concert on the South Lawn of the White House to commemorate Juneteenth, the countryโs newest federal holiday which the president said will โbreathe a new life in the very essence of America.โ.
TELL US: How are you celebrating Juneteenth also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day?
With Juneteenth becoming a federal holiday last year, many people are now celebrating the significance of the day.
Black Americans living abroad reflect on Juneteenth holiday
As the United States marks only the second federally recognized Juneteenth, Black Americans living overseas have embraced the holiday as a day of reflection and an opportunity to educate people in their host countries on Black history.
Jacksonville community weighs in on major companies receiving backlash for their Juneteenth support
Juneteenth is recognized as the end of slavery in the U.S. and just became a federal holiday last year.
Black business marketplace offers entertainment, fun for annual Juneteenth celebration
The summer heat didnโt stop hundreds of people from attending the sixth annual Melanin Market Saturday afternoon near downtown Jacksonville.
Rain doesnโt dampen spirit as community celebrates Juneteenth with annual Freedom Walk parade
With Juneteenth on Sunday, several Jacksonville organizations found ways to celebrate the now federal holiday early on Saturday.
Juneteenth: A look at the history of the federal holiday & its meaning
The U.S. government is catching up with Black people who have been commemorating the end of slavery in the United States for generations with a day called โJuneteenth.โ
Despite push, states slow to make Juneteenth a paid holiday
The effort to officially celebrate Juneteenth as a paid holiday has faced skepticism inside legislatures that have largely chosen symbolic gestures to recognize the holiday while curtailing certain conversations on race and racism.
Afrofuturism and the Black Metaverse
The celebration of Juneteenth is a historic event that changed the scope of life for African slaves. Finally receiving freedom that was provided by Abraham Lincoln through the Emancipation Proclamation. It was not for some time that slaves in Texas and other parts of this nation realized that they were legally free as Union soldiers spread the word as they traveled across the land.
SC workers may get Juneteenth, Confederate holiday choice
A bill that would allow state employees to take the Juneteenth holiday or any other day instead of Confederate Memorial Day has unanimously passed the South Carolina Senate.
Council votes to make Juneteenth a paid holiday for Jacksonville city workers
A third reading of an ordinance that would make Juneteenth a paid holiday for city workers in Jacksonville is scheduled during City Councilโs meeting Tuesday evening.
Juneteenth, recalling end of slavery, is marked across US
Parades, picnics and lessons in history are all part of Juneteenth events in the U.S. The day is carrying even more significance after Congress and President Joe Biden created a federal holiday to commemorate the end of slavery.
Juneteenth celebration held in Jacksonvilleโs Springfield neighborhood
On Friday night, many people celebrated Juneteenth with a block party in Jacksonvilleโs Springfield neighborhood outside TeaPosh Naturals, a vegan restaurant.
Federal holiday pressures companies to give Juneteenth off
The declaration of Juneteenth as a federal holiday is putting the pressure on more U.S. companies to give their employees the day off, accelerating a movement that took off last year in response to the racial justice protests that swept the country.
Lawmakers mark Juneteenth with talk of โabolition amendmentโ
As the nation this week made Juneteenth a federal holiday, lawmakers are reviving calls to end a loophole in the Constitution that has allowed another form of slavery to endure.
In your words: Hereโs what you said Juneteenth means to you
Juneteenth is coming up, this weekend in fact -- and for those who might be unfamiliar, the holiday commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States.
Biden signs bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday
President Joe Biden has signed legislation Thursday establishing a new federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery, saying he believes it will go down as one of the greatest honors he has as president.
Will Juneteenth become a federal holiday? Senate unanimously passes a bill, bringing it one step closer
Itโs an occasion thatโs recognized in most states and the District of Columbia, but itโs not as of yet a federal holiday.
In your own words: What does Juneteenth mean to you?
Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved Black people learned they had been freed, is often celebrated by families across the nation -- with events including cookouts, parades or community festivals.
As campaign heats up, Trump woos Latino, Black voters
He courted Hispanic voters near Miami and Black voters in Atlanta. โThis is an unusual name for an organization whose ideology and tactics are right now destroying many Black lives,โ Trump charged. On Friday morning, at his golf club in Doral, Florida, Trump tried to blunt Bidenโs support among Hispanic voters at a โLatinos for Trumpโ roundtable. But a Monmouth University poll also conducted this month found Biden well ahead of Trump among Latino voters in the state, 58% to 32%. Hispanic voters in Florida tend to be somewhat more Republican-leaning than Hispanic voters nationwide because of the stateโs Cuban American population, which Trump acknowledged several times in his remarks.
Up next for police defunding advocates: Win local elections
A person holds up a sign advocating for defunding the police as people gather to mark Juneteenth, Friday, June 19, 2020, in St. Louis. An outgrowth of the Defund the Police movement, the WFP Justice Fund is led by the Working Families Party and the Movement for Black Lives Electoral Justice Project. The result, they said, would be a shift in local government budgets and public safety systems around the country. For example, in Chicago's 2019 elections, WFP helped increase the council's Progressive Caucus to 18 seats out of the 50 total. In Washington, D.C., city council candidate Janeese Lewis George, backed by the Working Families Party, toppled an incumbent Democrat on a defunding platform and is in line to claim the seat in November.
Facebook groups pivot to attacks on Black Lives Matter
FILE - In this June 19, 2020, file photo, protesters wear protective masks as they march after a Juneteenth rally outside the Brooklyn Museum, in the Brooklyn borough of New York. A loose network of Facebook groups that took root across the country in April to organize protests over coronavirus stay-at-home orders has become a hub of misinformation and conspiracies theories that have pivoted to a variety of new targets. Their latest: Black Lives Matter and the nationwide protests against racial injustice. (AP Photo/John Minchillo
'Lift Every Voice and Sing' hymn ignites hope across nation
(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)LOS ANGELES The Black national anthem was born more than a century ago, but the popular hymn within the African American community called Lift Every Voice and Sing has resurrected a beacon of hope during nationwide protests. The NAACP dubbed Lift Every Voice and Sing as the Black national anthem in 1919. Sharpton said the ability of Lift Every Voice and Sing enduring several generations speaks volumes. The NFL will play Lift Every Voice and Sing" before each game during Week 1, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press. There's always been the controversy about race being involved in the national anthem.
DC protesters pull down, burn statue of Confederate general
President Donald Trump quickly tweeted about the toppling, calling out D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and writing: The DC police are not doing their job as they watched a statue be ripped down and burn. After the statue fell, most protesters returned peacefully to Lafayette Park near the White House. The Pike statue has been a source of controversy over the years. The former Confederate general was also a longtime influential leader of the Freemasons, who revere Pike and who paid for the statue. Ever since 1992, members of the DC Council have been calling on the federal govt to remove the statue of Confederate Albert Pike (a federal memorial on federal land).
The Latest: Beyonc single benefits Black-owned businesses
The singer's website says the song released late Friday, June 19, 2020, will benefit black-owned small businesses. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)TOP OF THE HOUR: Beyonc releases new single to benefit Black-owned small businesses. Nevada officials renew proposal to remove statue of McCarran. ___LOS ANGELES Beyonc did not let Juneteenth pass without dropping one of her signature surprises in the form a new single called Black Parade.The singers website says the song released late Friday will benefit Black-owned small businesses. Make America great again give me the date that America was great for everybody, Sharpton said.
Block parties and conversation: Jacksonville celebrates Juneteenth
In celebration of the holiday, the Acosta Bridge was lit up, just one way that Juneteenth was celebrated in the River City. People around the area participated in block parties and community conversation to discuss and learn about what June 19th means. This years Juneteenth celebration has taken on a new light given the recent civil unrest and many companies have closed their offices to observe the holiday. Today Tea Posh Naturals kicked off their three-day celebration of Juneteenth with a block party to bring the community together while supporting black-owned businesses. The celebration of Juneteenth will continue Saturday across Jacksonville.
Minnesota ends special session without deal on policing
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)MINNEAPOLIS A special session of the Minnesota Legislature ended Saturday without agreement on remaking policing in the state where George Floyd was killed. I'm deeply disappointed that Senate Republicans ended the special session before our job was done," Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent tweeted. Were not walking away from Minnesota here, but I think we could all benefit from a breather, Gazelka said just before adjournment, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. The special session was necessary for Democratic Gov. If Walz seeks to extend his emergency powers an additional 30 days, he's required to call another special session for July 12 to let lawmakers object.
Veterans for Black Lives Matters group organizes on Juneteenth
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ A new group, Veterans for Black Lives Matter, organized in Jacksonville on the historic day Juneteenth. The group did this in honor of two Black veterans killed by a mob more than 100 years ago in Jacksonville. โI urge all veterans to support the Black Lives Matter issue here in Jacksonville,โ said another speaker. โWe will have justice and we will take it by any means necessary because Black Lives Matter. Black lives have always mattered, but now weโre here to tell you that weโre speaking up, weโre speaking out that Black Lives Matter,โ said McCollough.
5 Things to Know for Today
Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, originated 155 years ago. (Stuart Villanueva/The Galveston County Daily News via AP, File)Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today:1. YOUNG IMMIGRANTS STILL FACE UNCERTAINTY The Supreme Court rejected Trumps effort to end legal protections for 650,000 young immigrants, but activists say legislation giving them a path to U.S. citizenship remains elusive. SINGAPORE OPENS GYMS, DINING OUT The latest relaxation in the city-state comes as reopenings in many places around the world are touching off fresh spikes in coronavirus infections. BIDEN SEIZES ON BOLTON BOOK The Democrats top aides say Trump kowtowed to Xi Jinping and ignored human rights abuses while trying to get the Chinese presidents assistance with domestic politics.
Honoring Juneteenth: We still have a lot more to fight for
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Juneteenth is the annual celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is also known as Emancipation Day, Juneteenth Independence Day and Black Independence Day. Were still producing.JOIN IN: A list of celebrations honoring Juneteenth in JacksonvilleFor African Americans, Juneteenth has long been a day of celebration, reflection and observance. Juneteenth is just something that symbolizes a much greater celebration -- a greater celebration, a greater, richer heritage of a group of people who, despite being oppressed in a nation, brought here against their will in many cases, were still producing, Toler said. I mean I commend these businesses who are acknowledging Juneteenth as a holiday, but what does your board look like?
Man who Jacksonville park could be renamed for is todays Google Doodle
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. The legacy of Jacksonville native James Weldon Johnson is getting national attention today on Juneteenth, but one council member wants to make the name a permanent fixture in the River City. Councilman Garret Dennis is working to rename Hemming Park, James Weldon Johnson park. The resolution came about after the city of Jacksonville removed a Confederate statue gifted to the state of Florida by Jacksonville civil war veteran Charles Hemming. The homepage of Google today commemorates the 155th anniversary of June 19 -- largely celebrated as the end of slavery in the US -- with a video Google Doodle. A blend of the words June and nineteenth, Juneteenth is the oldest known US celebration of the end of slavery.
New solo version of Aretha song about race, faith released
NEW YORK A never-before-heard solo version of the late Aretha Franklins riveting and powerful collaboration with Mary J. Blige about faith and race, 2006s Never Gonna Break My Faith, has arrived on Juneteenth. Never Gonna Break My Faith resonates today, featuring lyrics like: You can lie to a child with a smiling face/Tell me that color aint about a race.The world is very different now. It deserves to be an anthem.Never Gonna Break My Faith won best gospel performance at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008, marking Franklins 18th and final Grammy win. This solo version has been sitting on my computer for years, and when I heard Clive was making a film on Arethas life, I sent this version to him. Im so glad its being released, the world needs this right now.
More U.S. workers getting Juneteenth off as awareness grows
The date - June 19th - is not a federal holiday, and many non-black Americans have only recently become of aware of the day. Several of her employees are spending the day volunteering for the Juneteenth Freedom Phonebank, an initiative encouraging Census participation. Declaring the date a federal holiday would add considerable momentum, and there is growing support for the idea. Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, introduced legislation Thursday to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. In contrast, 93% of employers close on Independence day, with similar rates for Labor Day, Christmas Day and Thanksgiving.
Around sports world, Juneteenth celebrated like never before
Weve never posted about Juneteenth, but it is always the right time to do better than before," read a tweet posted by the New England Patriots. The Miami Heat celebrated the day with a pledge to make financial contributions and other commitments to organizations trying to eliminate racial inequality. Hockey's San Jose Sharks told fans that it was fine to not know where to start when it comes to understanding the significance of Juneteenth. In recognition of Juneteenth, our front office is starting a new tradition," read a statement on the Sharks' site. As an organization, we will be dedicating time on this day each year to actively participate in Juneteenth.
What to know about Juneteenth and why people are talking about it now
The June 19 holiday commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. Forty-seven states and the District of Columbia mark June 19 as a state holiday or observance. But -- despite a push by activists over the years -- Juneteenth still isn't a federal holiday. What Juneteenth isJuneteenth -- a blending of the words June and nineteenth -- is the oldest regular US celebration of the end of slavery. Juneteenth has been celebrated informally since 1865, but Texas became the first state to make it a state holiday in 1980.
LIST: Juneteenth celebrations planned in Jacksonville
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Starting Friday, Jacksonville plans to celebrate Juneteenth, a holiday marking the end of slavery, with demonstrations and celebrations against racism and police brutality. Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas in 1865 and has since spread across the United States and worldwide. Beatrice Palmer (BeBe Deluxe), one of the event coordinators for Fridays Duval County Queer Pride Presents: Juneteenth celebration, said the event is an all-black drag celebration. Event: Duval County Queer Pride Presents: Juneteenth. Event: This three-day event is in celebration of Juneteenth in Jacksonville & American Beach.
Juneteenth: A day of joy and pain - and now national action
In just about any other year, Juneteenth, the holiday celebrating the day in 1865 that all enslaved black people learned they had been freed from bondage, would be marked with a cookout, a parade, or a community festival. But Juneteenth 2020 will be a day of protest in may places Friday, June 19. The day is recognized in 47 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order recognizing Juneteenth as a paid holiday for state employees. So Juneteenth is a celebratory event but were not celebrating the country.
Jaguars among NFL teams who are closing offices to honor Juneteenth holiday
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. On the heels of the NFLs announcement that the league will observe Juneteenth as a holiday, the Jaguars have become the latest franchise to announce they will be closing their team offices Friday in honor of the historical day. Last week, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell shared a statement announcing the NFL league office would be closed that day. Juneteenth honors the June 19, 1865 day that is recognized as the end of slavery in the country. On that day in Galveston, Texas, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger of the Union army read federal orders that all enslaved people in Texas were free. Since the announcement that the NFL planned to recognize June 19 as a holiday, teams around the league have announced that they planned to follow suit.
New this week: Neil Young, 'Miss Juneteenth,' Padma Lakshmi
Peoplesโ film will debut Friday on-demand on Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. โMiss Juneteenthโ isnโt about that history but the contemporary African American struggle to remain in the middle class. โ AP Film Writer Jake CoyleMUSICBob Dylan: Itโs been eight years since the legend Bob Dylan released an album of original material. Neil Young: Neil Young also has a new album out on Friday, though he finished it 45 years ago. And two days later on Fatherโs Day, Legend will host the variety special โJohn Legend and Family: A Bigger Love Fatherโs Dayโ (ABC, 8 p.m. EDT).
Trump moved Tulsa rally date after learning about Juneteenth
Trump had scheduled the rally for June 19, known as Juneteenth because it marks the end of slavery in the United States. He didn't see it as disrespectful to be able to do it on Juneteenth, Lankford said. Other people interpreted it differently and so he moved the rally date.Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., said he was thankful that Trump rescheduled the rally. But Trump's campaign was aware, according to two campaign officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to disclose internal discussions. Although selecting June 19 was not meant to be incendiary, some pushback was expected, the Trump campaign officials said.
Trump reschedules campaign rally after Juneteenth uproar
WASHINGTON President Donald Trump said Friday that he is rescheduling his first campaign rally in months to a day later so it won't conflict with the Juneteenth observance of the end of slavery in the United States. Trump had scheduled the rally his first since early March for June 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Black leaders said it was offensive for Trump to pick that day and that place, a city that in 1921 was the site of a fiery and orchestrated white-on-black attack. Trump tweeted late Friday, Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday." He said he is moving the rally to June 20 to honor their requests.Trump's signature rallies often draw tens of thousands of people but have been on hiatus since March 2 because of the coronavirus pandemic, which has now killed more than 110,000 people in the U.S.
NFL plans to observe Juneteenth as league holiday
The NFL plans to recognize Juneteenth as a league holiday. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement to league employees on Friday in an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Juneteenth is considered the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Colin Kaepernick began raising awareness for these problems by kneeling during the national anthem in 2016. Juneteenth not only marks the end of slavery in the United States, but it also symbolizes freedom a freedom that was delayed, and brutally resisted; and though decades of progress followed, a freedom for which we must continue to fight.___More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Nike, NFL and others to start giving workers Juneteenth off
Although slavery was already abolished more than two years earlier by the Emancipation Proclamation, it continued in some areas. Some businesses have professed support for the Black Lives Matter movement or pledged to donate money to organizations. Others have promised to hire more black workers or make other policy changes. This week, Nike CEO John Donahoe told workers they would get Juneteenth off starting this year as a way to celebrate black culture and history. The power of this historical feat in our countrys blemished history is felt each year," Goodell wrote in a memo.