NAACP Hosts Juneteenth Celebration Saturday at Town Square Park, Murrieta

A Juneteenth celebration, marking the day in 1865 when slaves were set free in the former Confederate state of Texas, is planned Saturday June 16 at Town Square Park in Murrieta.

Juneteenth celebrations across the nation commemorate a gray area in American history.

According to historians, Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 1863 - but little changed for most slaves, particularly in the seceded Confederate states.

Texas was part of the Confederacy and resisted the Union's emancipation orders.

Juneteenth celebrates June 18 and 19, 1865, when slaves in Texas became truly free.

On June 18, Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston, and on June 19, Granger read from "General Order No. 3" the following:

"The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free."

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, the Southwest Riverside NAACP branch #1034 will host their annual Juneteenth celebration with food, entertainment, vendors and activities, officials said.

The event is free, family-oriented, and open to everyone in the community.

Town Square Park is at 24601 Jefferson Ave., Murrieta. A pdf flier for the event is attached to this report.

The NAACP Southwest Riverside branch serves Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Canyon Lake, Menifee, Perris, Corona, Sun City, Murrieta and Temecula.

For more information, call (951) 443-4551, email LakeElsinoreNAACP@yahoo.com, or visit http://www.lakeelsinorenaacp.org.