THE UUCCN COMMUNITY INVITES YOU TO A
JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION 
via Zoom on Saturday, June 19 at 1 PM Pacific / 4 PM Eastern

“Keep Your Dreams Alive”
by Rev. Dr. Hope Johnson

Listen. Light the way. Lend a hand. Make decisions. Commit. Take risks. Fall forward. Build community. Nurture meaningful relationships. Be real. Give thanks. Invest in someone, something, that you believe in. Live. Love. Dream. Dream big. Be transformed. Change the world. Lead. And keep your dreams alive.

The subject: FREEDOM! 

The words and pictures will speak to the dream, the reality, and the history around African Americans and all peoples striving for justice, human rights, and freedom.

Please tune in for an hour and a half of engagement and reflection. Join Rev. Gordon Clay Bailey and others to celebrate this historic day and recognize the ongoing struggle for civil rights, equality and freedom for all.  

Saturday, June 19, at 1 PM Pacific / 4 PM Eastern via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81592116122
Meeting ID: 815 9211 6122

Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)

The History of Juneteenth
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the US.

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves effective January 1863.

But it wasn’t until more than two years later, on June 19, 1865, that Union soldiers landed in Galveston, Texas, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. After this, more than 250,000 slaves across the state learned that they were finally free.

The celebration of June 19 was coined “Juneteenth” and grew with more participation from descendants, who treated the day as their Independence Day, according to the Texas State Library. It spread to other states and has been celebrated every year since.

In 1872, Rev. Jack Yates led a fundraising effort to purchase land for Emancipation Park in Houston.

On January 1, 1980, Juneteenth became an official state holiday in Texas. It’s a day to celebrate African American freedom and achievement while encouraging self-development and respect for all cultures.

Juneteenth As A Holiday:
Though not a federal holiday, 47 states and the District of Columbia recognize Juneteenth as a state or ceremonial holiday. The only three states that do not recognize the holiday are North Dakota, South Dakota and Hawaii. Texas was the first state to recognize the holiday in 1980. 

Which states celebrate Juneteenth?
Texas, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia (plus Washington DC) have designated Juneteenth a paid holiday.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation Of Central Nassau
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