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Unrest and virus make Juneteenth activist and reflective

Jun. 19, 2020 1:24 PM EDT

In years past, Christopher Johnson saw Juneteenth as a celebration, a symbol that African Americans had moved past the “stain” of racism and slavery. But this year the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks at the hands of law enforcement and neighborhood...

FILE - In this June 19, 2018, file photo, Zebiyan Fields, 11, at center, drums alongside more than 20 kids at the front of the Juneteenth parade in Flint, Mich. Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States, originated 155 years ago. (Jake May/The Flint Journal via AP, File)

AP Explains: Juneteenth marks day last enslaved people freed

Jun. 18, 2020 5:37 PM EDT

Juneteenth commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free 155 years ago. Now, with support growing for the racial justice movement, 2020 may be remembered as the year the holiday reached a new level of recognition. While the Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in the South in...

Editorial Roundup: US

Jun. 17, 2020 6:15 PM EDT

Excerpts from recent editorials in the United States and abroad: ___ June 17 The Post and Courier on remembering the nine African American parishioners at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church who were massacred by a white supremacist: Most of us remember where we were and what we were doing on the evening of...

In this June 4, 2020 file photo Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam speaks during a news conference in Richmond, Va. Northam announced Tuesday, June 16, 2020 that he's making Juneteenth _ a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. _ an official holiday in a state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy. (AP Photo/Steve Helber, file)

Virginia governor to propose Juneteenth as state holiday

Jun. 16, 2020 7:16 PM EDT

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that he's making Juneteenth — a day that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. — an official holiday in a state that was once home to the capital of the Confederacy. Juneteenth, which is also called Emancipation Day and...

In this Sept. 22, 2019 file photo Nike logos adorn the gloves of Cleveland Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (13) before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams in Cleveland. Nike, the NFL and other businesses are giving their employees a paid day off on Juneteenth for the first time, the latest example of how American employers are responding to protests that have placed additional attention on racial injustice in the U.S. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wrote in a note Friday, June 12, 2020 that its offices would be closed June 19. (AP Photo/David Richard, file)

Nike, NFL and others to start giving workers Juneteenth off

Jun. 12, 2020 6:14 PM EDT

NEW YORK (AP) — Nike, the NFL and other businesses will give their employees a day off for Juneteenth for the first time this year, the latest example of how American employers are responding to protests that have placed additional attention on racial injustice in the U.S. Juneteenth commemorates June 19,...

FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2018, file photo, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks during a news conference in Irving, Texas. The NFL, which has raised $44 million in donations through its Inspire Change program, announced the additional $206 million commitment Thursday, June 11, 2020, targeting what it calls “systemic racism” and supporting “the battle against the ongoing and historic injustices faced by African Americans.” (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

NFL plans to observe Juneteenth as league holiday

Jun. 12, 2020 4:47 PM EDT

The NFL plans to recognize Juneteenth as a league holiday. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made the announcement to league employees on Friday in an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Juneteenth is considered the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. It...