(ROCKVILLE CENTRE and HEMPSTEAD, N.Y.) – Nassau County Legislator Scott M. Davis (D – Rockville Centre) joined the communities of District 1 in celebrating Juneteenth during events held at Kennedy Park in Hempstead Village and the Rockville Centre Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It specifically refers to the June 19, 1865 issuance of Union General Gordon Granger’s “General Order No. 3,” which brought news of President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation to the people of Texas in these words:
“The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” the order reads in part. “This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves…”
“For Americans, Juneteenth is a pivotal moment in our shared history - and 160 years later, it remains a clarion call for us all to recommit ourselves to the pursuit of a more perfect union,” Legislator Davis said. “These events do a great deal to elevate these uniquely American ideals, and I was glad to see how the communities of Rockville Centre and Hempstead Village are continuing to embrace the lessons of this important day.”
PHOTO CREDITS – Office of Legislator Scott M. Davis