GREEN BAY (NBC 26) -- Green Bay Mayor Eric Genrich issued a formal proclamation Friday recognizing Juneteenth in the city.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when news finally reached African Americans in Texas that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves living in Confederate states two years earlier.
The day is gaining more attention this year, and greater significance, as COVID-19 disproportionately affects black America and the calls for racial justice intensify following the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.
“We come together today to recognize the meaning of this important day, and to teach future generations the history of our country and the promises for the future for all of us,” said Green Bay Police Chief Andrew Smith.
A public celebration of Juneteenth in Green Bay is underway at Perkins Park.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
