Whitpain Township: Township To Celebrate Juneteenth

Press release from the Whitpain Township:

June 16, 2021

Township to Celebrate Juneteenth

This year, Whitpain Township will be closed on Friday June 18 to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday. Juneteenth is also known as a second Independence Day in our Nation’s History and commemorates the date in 1865 when union troops arrived in Galveston Bay and announced that enslaved people were free.

Despite the fact that the Emancipation proclamation and 13th Amendment, which freed all slaves, was passed in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. 

“Every year, June 19 is celebrated in Black communities across America as a day to honor the past, while continuing to push for a more just and equitable future,” said Vice-chair Kim Koch.  “We encourage our township employees and our neighbors to use this day for reflection and education on the many and rich histories of the Black community.”

This press release was produced by the Whitpain Township. The views expressed here are the author’s own.