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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (9/18/09) Contact: Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Chairman National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council (NJCLC) 662-247-3364 662-247-1471 e-mail: JuneteenthDOC@yahoo.com web sites: www.19thofJune.com www.Juneteenth.us www.njclc.com John Thompson, Executive Director National Association of Juneteenth Jazz Presenters (NAJJP) JuneteenthAmerica, Inc. 909-621-9707 e-mail: johnharold@juneteenthamerica.us web sites: www.JuneteenthJazz.com www.JuneteenthAmerica.us Mona Adams Winston Madison Juneteenth Celebration Board of Directors National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) 608-257-7566 e-mail: mizmona@att.net web site: www.njof.org Adrian Griffin Milwaukee Juneteenth Day Celebration Wisconsin Juneteenth Committee National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) 414-372-3770 e-mail: Agriffin@northcotthouse.org 
Sen. Spencer Coggs Dr. Ronald Myers
Wisconsin Becomes the 32nd State to Recognize Juneteenth as a State Holiday
Sen. Spencer Coggs Champions Wisconsin Juneteenth Legislation (Madison, WI) - Wisconsin, the home of National Juneteeenth Holiday Campaign, Founder & Chairman, Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., is now the 32nd state to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or state holiday observance. This week, the Wisconsin State Senate passed SB170, sponsored by State Senator Spencer Coggs, with the House of Representatives concurring with the passage of HB 240, recognizing the annual observance of Juneteenth Independence Day as a legal holiday in the state. "Wisconsin will join Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, Delaware, Alaska, Idaho, Iowa, California, Wyoming, Illinois, Missouri, Connecticut, Louisiana, New Jersey, New York, Colorado, Arkansas, Oregon, Kentucky, Michigan, New Mexico, Virginia, Washington State, Tennessee, Massachusetts, North Carolina, West Virginia, South Carolina, Vermont, Nebraska, Kansas and the District of Columbia in recognizing the end of enslavement in America," states Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., who grew up celebrating Juneteenth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "We especially appreciate the efforts of State Sen. Spencer Coggs for sponsoring legislation that has made all of this possible," states Rev. Dr. Myers. Juneteenth, or the "19th of June", was first recognized by the Congress of the United States as Juneteenth Independence Day through the passage of S.J.R. 11 and H.J.R. 56 in 1997. Most recently, the U.S. Senate passed S. Res. 198 and the House of Representatives passed H. Con. Res. 546 in 2009, recognizing the significance of Juneteenth in America. Juneteenth commemorates the day when slaves in the last geographic area in America where slavery existed learned of their freedom. This took place on June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, when Union General Gordon Granger read General Order #3, announcing that "all slaves are free" by Proclamation of President Abraham Lincoln. The Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, and issued on January 1, 1863. It took over two and a half years for the news to travel to southwest Texas. "This is another significant development in our campaign to establish to make Juneteenth a National Day of Observance in America," states Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Chairman of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF). "As more states like Wisconsin pass Juneteenth legislation, we hope that President Barack Obama will finally establish Juneteenth as a national holiday observance by issuing a Presidential Proclamation." "Juneteenth is a freedom celebration significant for all Americans and the forerunner to the 13th Amendment," states John Thompson, Founder & CEO of Juneteenth America, Inc. host of the annual National Juneteenth Convention and Expo, in Ontario, California. "Juneteenth brings all Americans together to celebrate the end of slavery and freedom," continues Thompson. "Juneteenth is America's 2nd Independence Day." Thousands of petitions have been forwarded to the White House urging President Obama to make Juneteenth a national holiday observance and to establish a Presidential National Juneteenth Commission. "The official recognition of Juneteenth Independence Day and the end of enslavement by state governments and congress are very significant steps in bringing healing to America from the legacy of enslavement," states Rev., Dr. Myers, also Chairman of the National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council (NJCLC) and the Founder and Director of the National Day of Reconciliation & Healing From the Legacy of Enslavement during the annual WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH National Holiday Observance. For information on the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign, the National Day of Reconciliation & Healing From the Legacy of Enslavement or the WASHINGTON JUNETEENTH National Holiday Observance, contact Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D. at 662-247-3364 or e-mail: JuneteenthDOC@yahoo.com or web sites: www.Juneteenth.us, www.19thofJune.com and www.njclc.com. For information about the annual National Juneteenth Convention and Expo, contact John Thompson at 909-621-9707 or e-mail: johnharold@juneteenthamerica.us or web site: www.JuneteenthAmerica.us. |