On Jan 23, 2007, at 3:30 PM, Yojsouth wrote:

> Just another made up PC holiday like Kwanza.
>
>

This is inaccurate.  In Austin, Texas, "Juneteenth was first celebrated 
in 1867 under the direction of the Freedmen's Bureau, and became part 
of the calendar of public events by 1872."  More at 
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/JJ/lkj1.html, 
including bibliography.

Its observance in Virginia is another matter, of course, though there 
were celebrations recorded widely when news of Emancipation reached 
Virginia's slaves and, as Harold Forsythe notes, commemorative 
celebrations followed for many years.

Why not research the day when most who commemorated Emancipation in 
Virginia chose to do so (April 9?  January 1?), and encourage official 
commemorations then?

--Jurretta Heckscher

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