(ROOSEVELT, N.Y.) – Nassau County Legislature Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé (D – Freeport) celebrated Juneteenth at the Roosevelt Public Library during their second annual Children’s Day Festival and Juneteenth Festival on Saturday, June 21.
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…”
“Teaching the history of Juneteenth and America’s long journey to emancipation ensures that our children will carry those vital lessons into the future – so it was especially meaningful for the Roosevelt Public Library to celebrate its Children’s Day Festival and Juneteenth in one combined setting,” Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Mulé said. “It was a pleasure to join with Senator Siela Bynoe in supporting this tribute to freedom and the beauty of Black history, culture and heritage in our nation.”
PHOTO CREDITS – Office of Alternate Deputy Minority Leader Debra Mulé