PRESS RELEASE - Minnesota Discovered as the 4th State to Recognize Juneteenth 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (2/11/10)

     

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: DOC@njof.org
            

             Bob Milner 
             Minnesota Juneteenth Committee                                                                                                                                                  National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF)
             612-724-4296
             e-mail: bob@skypoint.com

 

                                                        Rep. Jeff Hayden              Dr. Ronald Myers

 

Minnesota Discovered as the 4th State to Recognize

Juneteenth as a State Holiday Observance 

Rep. Jeff Hayden Champions Minnesota Juneteenth Legislation

(St. Paul, MN) - Legislation that established Juneteenth as a state holiday observance in Minnesota in 1996 by former State Representative Richard Jefferson was recently discovered after a search of the state statutes by Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D., Founder & Chairman of the National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign (NJPOF) and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJPOF). Minnesota is the 4th state to establish Juneteenth, the "19th of June," as a special day of recognition in America.

 

"I contacted State Representative Jeff Hayden, who is presently sponsoring Juneteenth legislation in the Minnesota state legislature, about the fact that Juneteenth has already been established as a state holiday observance in the Minnesota state stautes for over ten years," states Rev., Dr. Myers. "He was very glad to hear about it because it will certainly make any new legislation concerning Juneteenth stronger support."

 

"Minnesota 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, Indiana and the District of Columbia in recognizing the end of enslavement in America," states Rev., Dr. Myers.

 

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 great news," states Bob Milner, Director of the Minnesota National Juneteenth Holiday Campaign (NJPOF) and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJPOF). "Now that Juneteenth has been recognized as a state holiday observance in Minnesota, I and other Juneteenth supporters throughgout the state will request that Sen. Al Frankin (D-MN) and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 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)."

 

"As more states like Indiana pass Juneteenth legislation, we hope that President Barack Obama will finally establish Juneteenth as a National Day of Observanc by issuing a Presidential Proclamation,"This is another significant development in our campaign to establish Juneteenth a National Day of Observanc in America," states Rev. Ronald V. Myers, Sr., M.D. "  

 

Thousands of petitions have been forwarded to the White House urging President Obama to make Juneteenth a National Day of Observanc 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.