According to
juneteenth.com, the Juneteenth celebrations date back to 1865, and it was on
June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed
at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were
now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s
Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863.

Today, Juneteenth is celebrated in African
American communities across the country. In Nashville, the Music City Freedom
Festival will commemorate the occasion at Hadley Park starting at noon. For
those still avoiding large crowds due to COVID-19, Tennessee United for Human
Rights (TnUHR) is sharing virtual messages that day about freedom and basic human
rights.  TnUHR was formed as a nonprofit public benefit corporation in 2015
to educate Tennesseans on the basic principles and foundations of human rights.
It is the local chapter of United for Human Rights, an international,
not-for-profit organization dedicated to implementing the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights. Its membership is comprised of individuals, educators and
groups throughout the world who actively forward the knowledge and protection
of human rights by and for all mankind. United for Human
Rights was founded on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the first such document ever ratified by the community of
nations. Then as now, continued worldwide human rights abuses violate the
spirit, intent and articles of this charter. United for Human Rights is
committed to advancing human rights through education. An understanding of the
30 rights enshrined in the document is the first step to bringing about their
broad implementation.  











For more
information about Juneteenth and the celebrations around the country, visit
www.juneteenth.com.