By FPL_Staff
On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, the official document which ended slavery in the United States.
News of the emancipation did not reach all enslaved people, however, until June 19, 1865. This date became known as Juneteenth. Celebrations grew year after year, and now Juneteenth is a national holiday, thanks in part, to the efforts of educator and advocate Opal Lee. At 89 years old, Ms. Lee walked from Fort Worth, TX to Washington D.C. to petition for Juneteenth to become a national holiday! Gather with friends and family and enjoy this historic day with good food and good times!
Celebrate Juneteenth with these library selections:
Princess Pamela's Soul Food Cookbook
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