05/18/2020
Very important day! Please visit our Elmira Juneteenth page
Join Elmira Economic Opportunity Program, Inc. from June 13-19 for the Elmira. NY Juneteenth celebration. This celebration that honors the end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 2020 we reflect on and celebrate the freedom and independence of African Americans in America and around the world. Juneteenth was first celebrated in Texas in 1865 and has since spread across the United States and worldwide.
Why is Juneteenth celebrated on the 19th of June, instead of on September 22nd, when the Emancipation Proclamation was issued by President Lincoln? It was on June 18th that the Union Army marched into Galveston, Texas and enforced President Lincoln's emancipation. Since then, celebrations in Galveston have been among the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the world!
