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The Long History Of Juneteenth Celebrations

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Friday, June 19, is "Juneteenth." It commemorates the day that Union soldiers in 1865 told enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, that the Civil War had ended and they were free.

This year's commemoration has taken on increased significance as it comes in the midst of nationwide protests over systemic racism and police brutality. Some Boston City Councilors are calling to make June 19 an official city holiday.

In advance of Friday's celebrations, we wanted to get a deep, historical perspective of Juneteenth's origins, its meaning and its resonance in 2020.

To help us with that, we speak with Kerri Greenidge. She's an assistant professor in the department of Race, Colonialism, and Diaspora studies at Tufts University. And she's the author of the book "Black Radical: The Life and Times of William Monroe Trotter."

This segment aired on June 18, 2020.

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Jamie Bologna Senior Producer/Director, Radio Boston
Jamie Bologna was senior producer and director of Radio Boston.

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Tiziana Dearing Host, Radio Boston
Tiziana Dearing is the host of Radio Boston.

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