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 To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe, please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html