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Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (11/19/09) 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 www.JazzWisconsin.com www.JuneteenthJazz.com Mona Adams Winston Madison Juneteenth Celebration Kujichagulia - Madison Center for Self Determination, Inc. Board of Directors National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) 608-239-7707 e-mail: mizmona@att.net web sites: www.njof.org www.madison.com/communities/kujichagulia/events/index.php 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 Governor Jim Doyle Dr. Ronald Myers Mona Adams Winston Gov. Doyle to Sign Wisconsin Juneteenth State Holiday Bill in Milwaukee Wisconsin Becomes the 32nd State to Recognize Juneteenth as a State Holiday Sen. Spencer Coggs Champions Wisconsin Juneteenth Legislation (Milwaukee, WI) - A historic ceremony has been scheduled for Gov. Jim Doyle to sign legislation to make Juneteenth an official state holiday in Wisconsin. The signing ceremony will take place in Milwaukee, WI, the home of National Juneteeenth Holiday Campaign, Founder & Chairman, Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., on Tuesday, December 1st, 209. at 12:15pm. The location of the ceremony has yet to be determined. "Wisconsin is now the 32nd state to oficially recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday or state holiday observance," states Mona Adams Winston, board member of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF) and Co-Chair of the Madison Juneteenth Celebration, along with Co-Chair Annie Weatherby-Flowers. "We have been celebrating Juneteenth in Madison for 20 years. This is really a historic achievement and I am proud to have been able to speak at the state capitol in favor of this bill." "We especially appreciate the efforts of State Sen. Spencer Coggs for sponsoring legislation that has made all of this possible," states Adrian Grifin, Director of the Milwaukee Juneteenth Celebration, the oldest Juneteenth event in Wisconsin. In October, 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. "Now that Juneteenth is a state holiday in Wisconsin, I will request that Sen. Herb Kohl (D-WI) and Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) will co-sponsor legislation in the U.S. Senate to make Juneteenth a National Day of Observance in 2010, by lead sponsor Sen. Roland Burris (D-IL)." 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." 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 on the Milwaukee Juneteenth Day Celebration contact Adrian Griffin at 414-372-3770 or e-mail: Agriffin@northcotthouse.org. For information on the Madison Juneteenth Celebration contact Mono Adams Winston at 608-239-7707; e-mail: mizmona@att.net or web sites: www.njof.com or www.madison.com/communities/kujichagulia/events/index.php. |