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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (2/25/10) 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.NationalJuneteenth.com www.Juneteenth.us www.njclc.com www.JazzWisconsin.com www.JuneteenthJazz.com Troy Page Ohio Juneteenth Committee National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) 614-577-1489 e-mail: tepage@aol.com web site: www.19thofJune.com
Ohio Makes 35 States to Recognize Juneteenth
Ohio U.S. Senators Urged to Support Juneteenth Legislation in Congress (Columbus, OH) - The state statutes in Ohio designate the "19th of June" as Juneteenth National Freedom Day, "to acknowledge the freedom, history, and culture that June 19, 1865, the day on which the last slaves in the United States were set free in Texas, has come to symbolize." This is great news for Juneteenth supporters throughout the country. "Ohio joins 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, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and the District of Columbia in recognizing the end of enslavement in America," states Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Founder & Chairman of the National Juneteeenth Holiday Campaign and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF). 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. Ohio Juneteenth supporters are urging recognition for Juneteenth in congress. 2010 may be the year that Juneteenth will be circled on calendars throughout the country. "Now that Juneteenth is a state holiday observance in Ohio, I and other Juneteenth supporters in the state will request that Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) co-sponsor legislation in the U.S. Senate to make Juneteenth a National Day of Observance, that will be introduced by lead sponsor Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)," states Troy Page, Director of the Ohio Juneteenth Holiday Campaign. "As more states like Ohio pass Juneteenth legislation, we hope that President Barack Obama will finally establish Juneteenth as a National Holiday Observance by issuing a Presidential Proclamation," states Rev. Dr. Ronald V. Myers. Thousands of petitions have been forwarded to the White House urging President Obama to make Juneteenth a National Day of 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.njclc.com, www.Juneteenth.us, www.NationalJuneteenth.com, and www.19thofJune.com. For information on the Ohio Juneteenth Holiday Campaign contact Troy Page at 614-577-1489 or e-mail: tepage@aol.com. |