City Council Tuesday night proclaimed June 17-19, 2022 as “Honoring Juneteenth Weekend.”
Juneteenth is the oldest celebration of the emancipation of enslaved African Americans ,and is named after the events of June 19, 1865 on which Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas with news that the Civil War had ended and that the enslaved were free, according to a city staff report to the city council.
“The City of Longmont recognizes the historical significance of Juneteenth and supports the continued celebration of Juneteenth to provide an opportunity for the Longmont community to learn more about the past to better understand the experiences that have shaped the nation,” the staff report states.
Madelyn Strong Woodley — a long term member of the Boulder County NAACP — and Juneteenth advocate Liz Marasco - accepted the proclamation from Mayor Joan Peck.
