Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.
Join in the 153rd Anniversary of Juneteenth and celebrate with the African American Center for Cultural Development of Olean. Here is the schedule of events and presenters:
11:00AM - 11:30AM: Opening Ceremony
11:30 until sold out: Food
12:00PM - 12:45PM: Drum Circle
1:00PM - 1:45PM: Twin Tiers Writers
2:00PM - 2:45PM: Martin McCall
3:00PM - 4:45PM: Blues Ensemble and Open Mic
5:00PM - 5:45PM: Ola Mae Gayton
6:00PM - 6:45PM: Reverend Wesley Gilbert
6:45PM - 7:00PM: Closing Ceremony
For more information on this event please visit https://www.facebook.com/African-American-Center-for-Cultural-Development-295530000534231/
This year's event will be held at Bethany Lutheran Church, 6 Leo Moss Dr. Olean, NY 14760.