*ABC News will air a prime-time special to commemorate Juneteenth, the holiday that takes place on June 19 and marks the day a group of Texas slaves learned they were free.
The special titled “Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming,” will examine the symbolism of this historic date, when enslaved people in Texas learned about the Emancipation Proclamation marking the end of slavery in the state.
The special will air 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. (EST) and will “take a look at the history of the holiday, in addition to Black spirituality and faith, and the struggles that African Americans faced in terms of voting rights and passing anti-lynching legislation,” per Urban 411.
The discussion will be led by “The View‘s” Whoopi Goldberg, as well as ABC News journalists Linsey Davis, Bryon Pitts, Janai Norman, TJ Holmes, Steve Osunsami, and Deborah Roberts.
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While the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation technically freed slaves in Confederate states, thousands weren’t made aware of their freedom until June 19, 1865.
This celebration serves as the basis of Juneteenth — a holiday celebrating emancipation in the US: https://t.co/pFYMA4egEg
— Vox (@voxdotcom) June 17, 2020
“Juneteenth is a day celebrated and commemorated around the country by millions of Americans,” said Catherine McKenzie, executive producer for the prime-time special. “For a lot of people, including myself, it’s a day of serious reflection and observance of the struggles of all those who came before us. For some, it’s also a time to look forward at the struggles that still exist and have hope for the future. This Friday night, we’re excited to share the history and meaning of Juneteenth, as we also recognize where we are in this moment of American history and how far we still have to go.”
“Juneteenth: A Celebration of Overcoming” will air Friday, June 19 on ABC.
In related news, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, has signed an order making Juneteenth a paid holiday for state employees.
We previously reported… Nike has also announced in a memo to staff this week that Juneteenth will become a paid holiday for workers.
“As many of you may know, next Friday, June 19, is Juneteenth, a day commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. Starting this year and going forward, Nike will recognize Juneteenth as an annual paid holiday in the U.S,” CEO John Donahue stated in the email obtained by Yahoo.
He also noted that the current environment presented an “important opportunity is to better commemorate and celebrate Black history and culture.”
“When we say that Black Lives Matter, it applies to the world outside of Nike and, importantly, it applies to our Black teammates within Nike. Simply put, we need to hold ourselves to a high standard given the heritage of our company and our brand,” the statement continued.
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