KINGSTON – Juneteenth is a federal and state holiday commemorating the ending of slavery in the US and African American emancipation and freedom.
In Ulster County, the holiday is being celebrated for the first time, this year on Monday, June 20.
“The last federal holiday to be added in America was MLK Day in 1986, and it was not celebrated in all 50 states until the year 2000,” said County Executive Patrick Ryan. “Juneteenth is a celebration but also an opportunity for all Americans and residents of Ulster County to acknowledge the continuing struggle for equality, and recommit ourselves to fighting for justice for black Americans.”
County Human Rights Commissioner Tyrone Wilson said Juneteenth “is always a day of reflection and remembrance.”
The county held a celebration on Friday at the Restorative Justice and Community Empowerment Center in Kingston.
