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Juneteenth peaceful protest underway in West Palm Beach

Rally taking place at Palm Beach County Courthouse
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Juneteenth is the traditional celebration of the end of slavery in the United States, and demonstrators are holding a peaceful protest at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in West Palm Beach on Friday afternoon.

Things organizers ask you to remember if you are attending:

  • Bring signs
  • Wear a mask
  • Have a peaceful mindset

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On Friday, West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James released this statement:

“Today, we observe Juneteenth which commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. It was on this day in 1865—two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation-- that Union soldiers arrived in Texas with news the war had ended and that the enslaved were free. It is a day to celebrate African American freedom, culture, history and achievements. It’s also a day of great reflection. We honor the African Americans who endured the evils of slavery, and we celebrate the changemakers who fought for equality and championed and protected the freedoms we enjoy today. Too often, it seems our differences divide us, but there is far more that unites us. Juneteenth is a day for everyone. I wish all City of West Palm Beach residents a Happy Juneteenth.”
Keith A. James, Mayor
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James

In what is now known as Juneteenth, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers arrived in Texas with news that the Civil War is over and slavery in the United States was abolished.

Every year, Juneteenth is celebrated to commemorate the end of slavery in America.

Despite the fact that President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation was issued more than two years earlier on Jan. 1, 1863, a lack of Union soldiers in the rebel state of Texas made the order difficult to enforce.