The Kalamazoo County Republican Party presents
The First Juneteenth: A Pivotal Moment in American History
President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863.
However, it would take more than two-years for enslaved persons in Texas to receive news that they were actually free.
“Juneteenth” commemorates June 19, 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached them and highlights a pivotal moment for our nation in the preservation of liberty and freedom.