A note from Mayor Janway on Juneteenth:

“June 19, also known as Juneteenth, is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Even though President Lincoln announced the end of slavery with the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, news did not reach certain Americans until June 19, 1865.

Major General Gordon Granger broke the news to the residents of Galveston. We have been told that Major General Granger is, in fact, a relative of some of the Grangers in Carlsbad and Southeast New Mexico, which is a very important historical connection here.

Across the South, Juneteenth celebrations have become days for celebrating liberty, justice and tolerance. Carlsbad has had some special Juneteenth celebrations, including one two years ago featuring former NFL player and civil rights advocate John Wooten, another Carlsbad native. Last year’s event included a memorial tribute to Daniel Johnson, the former state director of the NAACP who sadly lost his battle with cancer.

The NAACP will not be able to hold a Juneteenth celebration this year, due to COVID-19 concerns, but the message of emancipation still rings more true than it ever has. Our local NAACP president is Dr. Andrew Nwanne and our local vice-president is Judge Collis Johnson, and we support their great efforts in this community.”

Photo by Jon Sailer on Unsplash