The History of Juneteenth (V)

Dr. Zebulon Vance Miletsky, associate professor of Africana Studies at Stony Brook University, will discuss the history of Juneteenth, the reasons why it has become a national holiday and how it has been celebrated in Texas since 1865 – first becoming a state holiday in Texas as early as 1980. 

Dr. Miletsky will also discuss the history of other, longer celebrations of emancipation in the Northeast and New England, which were celebrating emancipation well before 1863 — including here in New York and Long Island. In July of 2020, a resolution was passed by the NYS Assembly, and signed into law by Speaker Carl Heastie recognizing this earlier struggle in New York, which is now observed in July. Juneteenth is also now a state holiday in New York. Join us! 

Register for Zoom link beginning May 31.

This program is in partnership with public libraries in the Town of Huntington.