The Juneteenth flag is now flying above the Washtenaw County Administration Building on Main Street, just below the Stars and Stripes. It’s the fourth year Washtenaw County has commemorated the week of Juneteenth with the flag raising.
On June 19th, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas and announced to the Black people there that they had been set free. It was the last group of former slaves to get the word.
Eastern Michigan University Upward Bound Director Dr. Roderick Wallace was the keynote speaker at the ceremony.
“This is a day that signifies more than freedom. It signifies resilience, it signifies resistance, and the enduring spirit of the Black community in Washtenaw County and beyond.”
Wallace says Juneteenth should be about more than just celebrating freedom, but also about building a community where opportunity thrives and diversity is valued.
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