A former democratic candidate for Georgia’s ninth congressional district seat joined WDUN’s The Martha Zoller Show Thursday morning to discuss Juneteenth and the importance of the holiday.
Devin Pandy said that it is important to remember the history behind the day.
“Sept. 22, 1862, was when the Emancipation Proclamation was signed by President Lincoln, and it was set to go into effect to free all enslaved people in the United States on Jan. 1, 1863,” Pandy said. “Well, it wasn’t until June 19, 1865, … that the good folks in Texas finally heard that they had been freed two years earlier.”
According to Pandy, this is why Juneteenth is celebrated on June 19 annually.
President Joe Biden signed legislation into law Thursday that makes June 19 the 12th federal holiday. This comes after the House of Representatives voted 415-14 Wednesday to send the bill to Biden.
Pandy said he is also involved with the organization of a Juneteenth event, which will take place in Gainesville Saturday.
According to the event listing, the event will celebrate the day, but it will also offer various services including blood pressure testing, HIV and STD testing and financial planning education.
The Juneteenth Emancipation Celebration will take place at the Midtown Greenway Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Stephanie Watkins, vice president of the Gainesville-Hall County Black History Society, said the holiday is especially important to her.
“It’s about the fact that we are still here as descendants, and that we’ve come a long way,” Watkins said. “We’ve done a hell of a job despite all of the stuff that we’ve had to overcome as a people. So it’s a day of pride. It’s a day of celebration.”
Gainesville City Councilwoman Barbara Brooks said the official declaration of Juneteenth as a federal holiday holds great importance in regards to her family history.
“To me, it’s a personal thank you,” Brooks said. “For my great-grandpa Wash, who was enslaved all through his childhood. To me, that’s for him.”
