The truth must be told

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On behalf of the MV/NAACP, we would like to thank all those that came out and contributed to the Juneteenth celebration.

Juneteenth, or June 19, marks the date in 1865 when the last slaves in America, located in Texas, were freed. The event came more than two years after Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves in states not under Union control during the Civil War.

Special thanks to Ardell Otten for organizing the event, Carol Simpson for her moving rendition of the events leading up to Juneteenth, complete with costume change, and Grant Meachem for his portrayal of a speech by Frederick Douglas.

Much appreciation goes to Deon’s restaurant, who hosted the event and provided food, and to Cousen Rose, L’Elegance, C’est La Vie, who graciously donated a portion of their day’s sales to the Bradley Square project. Please continue to support these generous vendors.

As we celebrate our second century of existence, we do so humbly and with gratitude; thankful to the hundreds of thousands of members, who, over the past 100 years committed themselves to social justice as members of the NAACP. We are keeping our eye on the great deeds and sacrifices of our predecessors, and another on the future development of young civil and human rights advocates. American history — the good, the bad, and the ugly — the truth must be told.

Laurie Perry-HenryPresident

MV/NAACP