Yonkers Insider: Statement from Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano: Happy Juneteenth.

 

Dear Friends and Neighbors,

Today is a day we celebrate the strength of our nation's African American ancestors.

I encourage all of us to recognize and understand the significance of Juneteenth and its role in American history.

When President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, he legally freed over three million people, but not everyone received the news right away. Two and half years later, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers reached Galveston, Texas, and liberated the last enslaved people there.

This is an opportunity for all of us to learn about this historical event and engage in conversation. We honor the past by continuing to strive for inclusion. I'm proud to say we are already doing that in the City of Yonkers.

I'd like the recognize and thank the Mayor's African American Advisory Board for continuing to promote the advancement of the African American community in Yonkers. We will continue to honor and recognize Black excellence.

Wishing the entire Yonkers community a happy and safe Juneteenth holiday.

MIKE SPANO

Mayor