By Governor Tony Evers In 2020, I proudly ordered the Juneteenth flag be flown at the State Capitol for the first time in state history, to commemorate the day in 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Texas to declare the end of slavery, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted. It is […]
Juneteenth: Battles Fought & Won Every Generation
By LaKeshia N. Myers The late Coretta Scott King once said, “Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won; you earn it and win it in every generation.” As an African American, I know this to be true. When I reflect on the significance of Juneteenth and us as a people, having only […]
It’s Time to Celebrate Juneteenth, No Thanks to Senator Ron Johnson
By Alex Lasry Americans across the country will be celebrating Juneteenth this year for the second year as an official federal holiday. The establishment of Juneteenth as a national holiday last year was a bright spot and the culmination of a long effort to get this done. But if it were up to Wisconsin Senator […]
Why Juneteenth & Father’s Day are Special for Black Dads During Covid
By Paula Penebaker and Darryl Sellers This year, Juneteenth and Father’s Day fall on June 19. Of course, being a Black father in 2022 differs from the experiences of Black dads in 1865. So, let’s take a closer look. During slavery, Black men were viewed as breeders and were prohibited from participating in the traditional […]
Beyond Juneteenth: Breaking the Chains to Access Capital and Achieve Real Freedom
By Vercie Lark, Region 7 Great Plains Administrator and Ted James, Region 6 South Central Administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration Being black and walking away from a person who legally owned you became reality on June 19, 1865, when Texas became the last state to implement the Emancipation Proclamation. The day, now known as Juneteenth, […]
Don’t Let COVID-19 Spoil Your Summer: How to Celebrate Juneteenth and Other Events Safely during the Pandemic
By Paula Penebaker Navigating the new normal, especially when it comes to summer celebrations, can be tricky with COVID-19 still circulating and infections on the rise in some communities. Even after two years, attending summer events like family cookouts, visiting amusement parks and enjoying music and cultural festivals, still comes with challenges thanks to what […]
U.S. Senator Ron Johnson Booed at Juneteenth
By Milwaukee Courier Staff Last weekend’s celebration of Juneteenth in Milwaukee was quite a sight to see. It was the 50th anniversary of one the nation’s longest running Juneteenth celebrations and it was the first time that the event commemorated a federal holiday. This was especially gratifying after the years of work to see this […]
‘We’ve Come a Long Way Since 1971’: Milwaukee Celebrates Juneteenth Day
By Ana Martinez-Ortiz In September of 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. The document declared that enslaved people throughout most of the country would now be free people. It wasn’t until three years later on June 19, 1865, that Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas bringing news of the Emancipation Proclamation and declaring […]
Juneteenth Day is a Federal Holiday…Finally
By Alex Lasry All Americans will be celebrating Juneteenth as an official federal holiday this year despite Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson’s best efforts to stop that from happening. Last year, Johnson was the only senator who objected a bill that would have established Juneteenth Day as a federal holiday. Johnson’s objection led to other Republican […]
Ain’t Gonna Let No Body Turn Me Round
Legislatively Speaking By Senator Lena C. Taylor Juneteenth Observance Goes National When I was in middle school, a television miniseries based on Alex Haley’s book “Roots” offered me the first visual exploration of the institution of slavery. Like many children, I heard stories that were passed down through generations about how my ancestors had been […]