Millions of Americans celebrate Juneteenth with anti-racism marches, peaceful rallies and Black Lives Matter protests held across the country – as New York City announces it will become an official holiday next year (79 Pics)
Millions of Americans took to the streets on Juneteenth to celebrate the abolition of slavery, with anti-racism marches and peaceful rallies held to celebrate Black lives - as New York City and other places formally made the day an official holiday.
The Juneteenth celebrations held across the United States are meant to be a commemoration of progress, but this year the mass gatherings are taking place amid nationwide protests against racial injustice at the hands of law enforcement.
The death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African American man who was killed in police custody, and other minorities has brought a heightened sense of urgency to call for equality during this year's celebrations.
Juneteenth revelers this year have traded in traditional cookouts for marching, holding sit-ins or car caravan protests.
In New York City, thousands of residents flooded local parks, streets and plazas across all five boroughs.
Millions of Americans took to the streets to hod anti-racism protests and peaceful demonstrations on Juneteenth, a holiday that celebrates the liberation of enslaved African-Americans in the US on June 19, 1865 (pictured)
The usually joyous Juneteenth celebrations com amid a time of great racial tensions and a push back against police brutality after the death of George Floyd, an African-American man who died in police custody after a white officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes
Several cities, including Atlanta, Washington D.C. and New York City saw thousands of residents come together to commemorate Juneteenth with peaceful protests, marches, walk outs, street blockades and dance parties to fight against systematic racism
Pictured: Crowds of New Yorkers participate in a march in Brooklyn for both Black Lives Matter and to commemorate the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth
In Los Angeles, a resident named Jasmine Jackson (pictured) burned incense at a prayer alter during a Juneteenth celebration on Friday. The alter was decorated in protests posters that read 'We Will Breathe!' and 'Say Their Names!'
Protesters hold signs and chant slogans demanding racial equality as they march through downtown Los Angeles on Friday
Rein Morton waves a Pan-African flag on horseback during a Juneteenth celebration in Los Angeles on Friday
A man depicting himself as Jesus Chris rests against a cross at a Black Lives Matter protest during events to mark Juneteenth at Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House, in Washington, D.C (pictured)
Photos from Central Park showed dozens of demonstrators raising their fists as they marched through the city.
In Brooklyn, a group of dancers in face masks performed in front of hundreds of Black Lives Matter signs in protest.
One man at the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn dressed as a prison inmate with shackles near a makeshift stand reading 'Police Reform.'
In Harlem, organizers prepare for a Juneteenth march on Saturday that is expected to see an unprecedented number of attendees.
Mayor Bill de Blasio on Friday announced that Juneteenth - a combination of the words June and Nineteenth - will become a New York City holiday for city workers and students in 2021.
Additionally, Governor Andrew Cuomo made June 19 a holiday for state workers earlier this week.
Protest signs reading 'Defund NYPD,' 'No Justice, No Peace' and 'Black Lives Matter' were held in the air by demonstrators in New York City on Friday as they fought against police brutality
Rama Guzma (pictured) wore a prison jumpsuit and chains at a Juneteenth rally at the Barclay's Center in the borough of Brooklyn in New York City
(left to right) independent dancers Fana Tesfagiorgis of New York, Danial Moore of Suitland, Md., Chawnta Marie of Los Angeles, and Krystal Butler of Washington, pose for a performance with of hundreds of signs put up along the front of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce building on H Street and 16th Street Northwest renamed Black Lives Matter Plaza near the White House in Washington
A man wearing a 'Black solidarity' shirt carries a young child as they march near Central Park as part of a Juneteenth celebration march in New York City
Two women holding protest signs march through downtown Atlanta, Georgia, on Friday as dozens of residents gathered for Juneteenth
People raise their hands as they take part in an event to mark Juneteenth in Atlanta on Friday
Washington Wizards players, Washington Mystics players and supporters stand at the base of the Stone of Hope while participating in a march and rally to observe Juneteenth (pictured)
Dozens of Black Lives Matter demonstrators arrived near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. to protests police brutality against African-Americans and other minorities on Friday
'Our city has a lot to be proud of in terms of being a place where everyone could come together and do something different. But our city also has a very painful history,' de Blasio said during a press briefing.
'Slavery was alive and well in New York City for a long time. New York City gained much of its prominence and wealth from slavery.
'Redlining, discrimination of every form existed here in liberal, progressive New York City for generations, and in too many ways discrimination is alive and well today.
'Structural racism pervades this city in ways that are still not acknowledged and recognized. We have to change that.'
First Lady Chirlane McCray, deBlasio's wife, who is Black, said a Racial Justice and Reconciliation Commission will be formed to 'establish a definitive historical record of racial discrimination in New York City.'
De Blasio visited Staten Island on Friday, where community volunteers came together to paint a second Black Lives Matter mural on the street near the 120th Precinct.
Cordell Cleare, a community activist who serves on the Juneteenth Committee of Masjid Malcolm Shabazz in Harlem, said the recognition the holiday is now receiving is 'sad and joyful.'
'I'm sorry that it took all of this, but I'm glad it's finally being given some recognition. It's sad and joyful at the same time,' Cleare told The New York Times.
A man wearing a mask and hat in support of President Donald Trump, foreground, exchanges words with people attending a Juneteenth rally in Boston, Massachusetts
A demonstration held in front of the Brooklyn Museum in New York City saw protesters urge for the NYPD to be removed from local schools and unions, as well as suggested policy changes for public school education
New York City Mayor Bill de Balsio (center, orange face mask) joined a group of community volunteers in Staten Island on Friday to paint the phrase 'Black Lives Matter' near the 120th precinct. De Blasio announced Friday that Juneteenth would become an official holiday in the city
Although Juneteenth is legally recognized in 47 states and Washington D.C., thousands of people will celebrate the event for the first time.
'I didn't know about it, I didn't learn about it in school,' said a Brooklyn resident named Kira. 'And so I had to educate myself. And I'm black.'
Juneteenth celebrations began after former President Abraham Lincoln first issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, and it became effective the following Jan. 1.
But it wasn't enforced in many places until after the Civil War ended in April 1865. Word didn't reach the last enslaved black people until June 19 of that year, when Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to Galveston, Texas.
It is not regarded as a federal holiday despite recognition at a local and state level.
Brannon Bridgett, a 23-year-old Manhattan resident, said he's appreciated of New York officials embracing Juneteenth, but argued it's not enough.
'I think it should be a federal holiday,' he said. 'I think it's symbolic. I think that's the crumbs, but I want the whole cake.
'This country was built on the backs of enslaved people and the country hasn't reckoned with that.'
As protests continue across the country, politicians and businesses alike have acknowledged Juneteenth in a way that it hasn't been before.
Major companies like Nike, Google, and the National Football League have all declared Juneteenth an employee holiday.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey revealed that Juneteenth would officially become a corporate holiday for employees going forward. So have Netlfix, Lyft and Ben & Jerry's.
On the morning of June 19, Tesla told employees that they can take the day off in observance of Juneteenth - but it would be unpaid, CNBC reports.
People carry a empty symbolic casket draped with an American flag during a Juneteenth march and celebration in the Greenwood District - the same city President Trump initially announced a campaign rally before moving the date amid pressure
Mahlikah Awerii (center) and Gary Wassaykeesic (right) take part in an 'Abolish the police' sit in to mark Juneteenth in Ontario, Canada, on Friday
Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards NBA team (center) marched to the MLK Memorial in Washington D.C. in support of the Black Lives Matter movement on Friday
Although it's not considered a federal holiday, Juneteenth is recognized as such by 47 US states and Washington D.C. Only three other states, including Hawaii, have not designated Juneteenth as a state holiday
Large crowds of protesters gather in front of the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn to commemorate Juneteenth on Friday
Brannon Bridgette: 'I think it's symbolic. I think that's the crumbs, but I want the whole cake. 'This country was built on the backs of enslaved people and the country hasn't reckoned with that'
A number of protesters holding 'Black Lives Matter' signs march near the Mt. Neboh Baptist Church in Harlem ahead of an anticipated march on Saturday, which organizers believe will draw several crwods
Demonstrators in Atlanta, Georgia, march past a mural celebrating African-American lives on Friday as hundreds of residents commemorated Juneteenth
Pictured: an American flag held at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. has the names of several African-Americans who died by police brutality, including George Floyd and Michael Brown, with the words 'We're Not Free' written in black ink
Demonstrators hold signs as they take part in a Juneteenth march and rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, (pictured)
Two current employees said the move was offensive that Tesla did not make the announcement before Juneteenth.
Many employees had already arrived for their shift when the email arrived late morning on the east coast.
In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Juneteenth celebrations almost collided with a campaign rally for President Trump.
Trump announced earlier this month that he would hold his first campaign rally since March in Tulsa on June 19.
He was met with swift backlash from critics who lambasted him for holding his rally on Juneteenth given his spotty record with racial issues and minorities.
The Trump administration has since moved the rally to June 20, but Trump was once again criticized after claiming to make Juneteenth 'famous.'
African-Americans in Tulsa gathered along Greenwood Avenue to not only commemorate the abolition of slavery, but celebrate being Black.
'We're celebrating the emancipation of slaves, but we're really celebrating the idea of being black,' Jacquelyn Simmons, a resident of 45 years, told New York Times. 'We love it and we love us.'
The phrase 'Black Lives Matter' was painted across Greenwood Avenue in bright yellow letters.
They said their Juneteenth celebration had very little to do with President Trump.
Activist Angela Davis sits in the driver's seat of a car before leading a caravan of protesters at the Port of Oakland to commemorate Juneteenth on Friday
One woman attending a Black Lives Matter march in New York City brought a cardboard sign with art depicting Breonna Taylor and and seven-year-old Aiyanna Jones, both of whom died during interactions with police officers (pictured)
Mahlikah Awe:ri (pictured) appears to hold a drum while attending the Abolish the Police sit in rally to celebrate Juneteenth in Ontario, Canada
Rebecca Jimerson sings during the ceremony of the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth at historic Ashton Villa, where emancipation of the slaves was announced in 1865 (pictured)
'It's not really about his rally for us, said 51-year-old Otis Collins, who drove four hours to Tulsa from Dallas, Texas.
'We want to show defiance to his act, but he's going to have his rally and do his thing regardless. This is about showing our people support.'
The White House released a message on Friday discussing Juneteenth.
'Juneteenth reminds us of both the unimaginable injustice of slavery and the incomparable joy that must have attended emancipation. It is both a remembrance of a blight on our history and a celebration of our Nation's unsurpassed ability to triumph over darkness,' wrote Trump.
'This Juneteenth, we commit, as one Nation, to live true to our highest ideals and to build always toward a freer, stronger country that values the dignity and boundless potential of all Americans,' he added.
But Trump will most likely spend the holiday inside the White House as crowds of protesters flock to the area for Juneteenth rallies and demonstrations.
Activists called for walk outs, street blockades and dance parties to shut down parts of the city. The marchers are expected to be near the White House and the National Mall.
Dennis Doster, who for the past five years has co-chaired the longest-running Juneteenth event in Prince George County, Maryland, was shocked by the turnout.
Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity brother Forrest Jackson, right, and Rodrick Tyler prepare bags of cleaning products to distribute during a drive-thru Juneteenth 2020 celebration in Dallas, Texas
'It's like, 'finally'. In the past few weeks, it's been like everyone has been wanting to do something for Juneteenth,' Doster told The Washington Post.
St. George was the largest slave-owning county in Maryland.
Last year, the annual event attracted more than 6,000 people to enjoy live music, food trucks, dance performances and reflections on history.
This year, restrictions on public gatherings have pushed the event online.
'It's not only about celebrating the past, but looking at the future and charting the path forward.'
The 155th anniversary of Juneteenth in Galveston, Texas, - where Juneteenth was first created - saw crowds attend a ceremony at the historic Ashton Villa, where Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced that the last enslaves African-Americans were free.
'We're trying to preserve the history of the Emancipation Proclamation and what Juneteenth really meant,' Juneteenth coordinator Douglas Matthews told Spectrum News.
President Trump: 'This Juneteenth, we commit, as one Nation, to live true to our highest ideals and to build always toward a freer, stronger country that values the dignity and boundless potential of all Americans'
In 1979, Texas became the first US state to officially mark Juneteenth a holiday by by former Texas state lawmaker Al Edwards.
'This is where it happened that African-Americans received their freedom in the South, delivered by the word of the U.S. government,' Edwards said at the time.
'It's not to be taken away from us. It's not to be muzzled or silenced or marginalized. It is Freedom Day for African-Americans in the United States. It is our day. White, Black, Asian, Mexican-American — it is a United States holiday.'
Juneteenth demonstrations and celebrations were also held in places like Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia; and even Toronto, Canada.
A group of demonstrators hold a sign reading 'Freedom Day March' as they make their way to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. on Juneteenth
Residents in St. Louis, Missouri, gathered near The Gateway Arch on Juneteenth as they chanted and carried 'Black Lives Matter' signs through the city
A photo taken at a Juneteeth Black Lives Matter demonstration in Atlanta, Georgia, shows the full scope of attendees as they overtake the roadway while hoisting protests signs in the air
Malik Harris (center) leads protesters as they march towards the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington D.C. on Friday as part of a Juneteenth celebration
In Tennessee, Republican Gov. Bill Lee signed a proclamation Friday to recognize Juneteenth Day.
The move came a week after Republican lawmakers voted to keep in place a day commemorating Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader Nathan Bedford Forrest but remove the governor´s responsibility to sign the annual proclamation for it.
Lee had proposed eliminating the day but said lawmakers made a step in the right direction.
The protests have also already started to yield concrete results.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed into law a broad police accountability bill that bans chokeholds, requires police body cameras and removes legal barriers that protect officers from lawsuits.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers called on the Legislature to ban chokeholds and make other reforms. Both are Democrats.
Events marking Juneteenth were expected to be held in every major American city on Friday, although some were being held virtually due to the coronavirus.
In Louisiana, community and environmental groups won a court fight to hold a Juneteenth ceremony at a site archaeologists have described as probably a cemetery for enslaved African Americans. The land is now being used to build a $9.4billion chemical complex.
'I felt like the ancestors were shouting for joy in heaven. We let them know they were not forgotten,' said organizer Sharon Lavigne of the community group Rise St. James.
She said it was her first Juneteenth celebration.
It was held on a small part of the site where FG LA LLC, a local member of Taiwan-based Formosa Plastics Group, has begun construction on a $9.4billion chemical complex.
Black Lives Matter protesters are seen above crossing the Brooklyn Bridge and heading toward Manhattan to commemorate Juneteenth on Friday
Protesters march over the Brooklyn Bridge towards Manhattan following a Juneteenth rally in Cadman Plaza Park on Friday
Several helicopters could be heard overhead as the protesters walked over the historic New York City landmark on Friday
Protesters hold signs that read 'Black Lives Matter' and 'I can't breathe' as they walk across the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday
A Black Lives Matter supporter straddles one of the beams lining the Brooklyn Bridge walkway as the protest march goes by on Friday
A person raises a fist as people march on the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City on Friday during events to mark Juneteenth
Thousands made their way across the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday as temperatures reached 80 degrees with mostly sunny skies
New York City on Friday formally declared Juneteenth a city holiday. Protesters are seen in the above photo on the Brooklyn Bridge
A young protester chants slogans as she crosses the Brooklyn Bridge and over to the Manhattan side on Friday
Black Lives Matter supporters cross the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan during Juneteenth celebrations on Friday
A sea of protesters - many of them holding signs calling for an end to police brutality - walks across the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday
An officer with the New York Police Department looks on as protesters cross the Brooklyn Bridge into Manhattan on Friday
Several NYPD officers observe the protest as marchers crossed the Brooklyn Bridge toward City Hall in Manhattan on Friday
A large mass of protesters is seen in Lower Manhattan after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge on Friday
A short video on Rise St. James' Facebook page showed about a dozen people but Lavigne said about 50 attended the ceremony, held after state district and appeal courts rejected FG LA's arguments.
Father Vincent Dufresne of the Catholic church in nearby Convent prayed for those buried there.
'They were brought here against their will ... We don´t know them by name but we love them as our own,' he said.
Rise St. James and the Bucket Brigade, an environmental group that also has been fighting plans for the project, went to court for authorization to hold the service after FG LA failed to answer multiple requests, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights, which represents them.
On Thursday, 23rd District Judge Emile St. Pierre upheld an order he had handed down at the start of the week, the Center for Constitutional Rights said in a news release.
'Formosa Plastics' emergency writ to the Court of Appeals was denied last night even before we could get our opposition in,' center spokeswoman Jen Nessel wrote in a news release Friday morning.
Work in December confirmed that the site held graves, the statement said.
Philadelphia's biggest Juneteenth parade and festival was canceled because of the virus outbreak, but several other celebrations popped up, including a gathering of roughly 200 people, mostly black men dressed in black T-shirts, who marched to a park.
Protesters holds signs remembering George Floyd and chanting slogans during a march in Chicago on Friday
Hundreds of people participated in upbeat and celebratory marches through downtown Chicago on Friday
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (right) and US Senator Dick Durban (left) participate in the Juneteenth protest in Chicago on Friday
US Senator Tammy Duckworth, who lost her legs while serving in combat in Iraq, is followed by Durban, Pritzker, and other protesters in Chicago on Friday
Duckworth (wearing beige second from right) poses for a photograph with a supporter in Chicago on Friday
Chicagoans taking part in a Juneteenth demonstration raise their fists while marching on Friday
Protesters marching in Chicago on Friday to commemorate Juneteenth raise their fists and chant slogans demanding racial equality
Chicago Police Department officers ride bikes beside the protesters marching to commemorate Juneteenth in the Windy City on Friday
Revelers celebrate and dance during the Juneteenth events in Chicago on Friday
Chicago Police Department officers watch as a protester holds a sign in Spanish that reads 'Your fight is my fight'
A protesters in Chicago was seen carrying a sign in Spanish that read 'Black lives matter' on Friday
The above image showing a crowd of protesters in Chicago was taken with an aerial drone on Friday
Large crowds were seen gathering at Chicago's Grant Park where they commemorated Juneteenth on Friday
Crowds of protesters are seen marching through the streets of Chicago on Friday
A man dressed in a costume waves a Pan-African flag during a demonstration in Chicago on Friday
Thousands of people gathered at an organized religious rally in downtown Atlanta, where speakers and attendees called for an end to racism.
In Boston, planned events included a rally organized by Black Lives Matter to call for an end to 'mass incarceration and over-policing' of communities of color, and a labor union-organized automobile caravan as part of the nationwide Drive to Justice campaign, which seeks changes in policing and other measures.
In St. Petersburg, Florida, city officials and community members celebrated with the unveiling of a block-long, colorful mural that said 'Black Lives Matter.'
'We know our lives matter. You don't have to tell us that. We're trying to tell the world that,' said Plum Howlett, a tattoo artist who painted part of the mural.
Hundreds of people participated in upbeat and celebratory marches through downtown Chicago on Friday, part of events citywide to mark Juneteenth.
People gathering before one morning march danced to music played by a small marching band before hundreds marched into the city’s downtown Loop.
Participants kept up the festive atmosphere, chanting and singing along the route that wrapped up near City Hall.
'The march was so fun. We all danced and celebrated our holiday that people often forget about,' 24-year-old Denise Richards told the Chicago Sun-Times.
'But we are also here to demand justice for our people who have been brutalized by police.'
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton and US Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durban were among the participants of another march, traveling alongside demonstrators carrying two large banners bearing Floyd's name and photo as the group wound through Grant Park.
Thousands of people surround activist Angela Davis as she speaks to protesters during the West Coast Port Shutdown held at the SSA Terminals in Oakland on Friday
An aerial drone view of protesters during a Juneteenth rally and march at the Port of Oakland on Friday
Thousands of union longshoremen and Black Lives Matter activists participated in a rally and march to observe Juneteenth at the Port of Oakland, one of dozens of ports on the west coast to shut down operations for the day
In Oakland, the thousands who attended the rally at the port then marched to downtown Oakland on Friday
A woman raises her first while marching toward downtown Oakland alongside thousands of union longshoremen and Black Lives Matter activists on Friday
Protesters held several signs denouncing the police, including 'Stop police terror' and 'Abolish the police' in Oakland on Friday
Protesters attend a rally for Black Lives Matter in Oakland on Friday as millions nationwide marked the Juneteenth holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States
A protester climbs a stoplight to take a photo during the West Coast Port Shutdown held at the SSA Terminals in Oakland on Friday
Floyd, a black man, died last month after a Minneapolis police officer pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for almost nine minutes.
Chicagoans planned to participate in other events throughout the day including organized 'crawls' to patronize black-owned businesses, car caravans and celebrations with music, food and dancing.
Cranes and berths came to a standstill as longshoremen in ports throughout California stopped work Friday, joining thousands of Californians who marched, rallied and drove in car caravans to commemorate Juneteenth and demand racial equality.
Thousands joined workers at the Port of Oakland for a rally where some held signs that read 'Stop Police Terror' and 'Black Lives Matter.'
Political activist and former Black Panthers Party member Angela Davis addressed the crowd.
She thanked the longshoremen for shutting down on 'the day we celebrate the end of slavery, the day we memorialize those who offered us hope for the future and the day when we renew our commitment to the struggle for freedom,' Davis said to cheers and applause.
Longshoremen also stopped work in 28 other West Coast ports to mark Juneteenth, which is considered the oldest known celebration commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.
In Oakland, the thousands who attended the rally at the port then marched to downtown Oakland, where Davis and Michael Brown Sr., the father of Michael Brown Jr., an 18-year-old Black man who was killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, in 2014, addressed the crowd.
Earlier this week, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf said five ropes found hanging from trees in a city park were nooses and racially charged symbols of terror.
NFL Hall of Famer Bruce Smith marches along with others through downtown Norfolk, Virginia, on Friday
Protesters are seen above during a rally for Black Lives Matter in Miami, Florida, on Friday
People demonstrate at the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Friday to mark Juneteenth
An Oakland man said he put the ropes up months ago to use as exercise equipment.
A day later, Oakland police opened an investigation after a caller reported finding an effigy hanging from a tree at a city park.
In San Francisco, people riding in a car caravan joined families rallying outside City Hall to demand officials remove police officers from public schools and redirect funds from the police budget to the Black community, especially to schools.
Mayor London Breed has already promised funds would be reallocated from the police department to the African American community.
'As we celebrate Juneteenth this year, at a time when there is a renewed call - an awe-inspiring DEMAND - for justice, and for change, we must recommit ourselves to the work we have to do,' Breed, who is Black, said in a statement.
'Our charge is to create a more equitable society for all of us, because all lives can’t matter unless BLACK lives matter!'
Governor Gavin Newsom’s office said the state Capitol will be lit Friday night in red, black and green to represent the African diaspora to enslavement in the New World.
Millions of Americans celebrate Juneteenth with anti-racism marches, peaceful rallies and Black Lives Matter protests held across the country – as New York City announces it will become an official holiday next year (79 Pics)
![Millions of Americans celebrate Juneteenth with anti-racism marches, peaceful rallies and Black Lives Matter protests held across the country – as New York City announces it will become an official holiday next year (79 Pics)]()
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