Juneteenth

WRVO Public Media commemorates Juneteenth with the one-hour radio special "What Is Owed?" exploring the history of reparations demands and efforts to repay victims of systemic oppression against Black Americans. The special emphasizes the voices of Black activists fighting for reparations since the nation's founding.

The resolution allows the county chairwoman to negotiate with unions representing county employees to implement the holiday.

The Syracuse Juneteenth celebrations in Clinton Square over the weekend were a far cry from the previous small festivals on Syracuse's Southside.

Juneteenth has been celebrated in Syracuse for 35 years. Kevin Henry, board president of Syracuse Juneteenth says this year's event is an exciting one.

An historical marker has been erected outside the childhood home of Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, who in 1865 informed enslaved people in Texas that they were free.

This is the first time the event is being held since Juneteenth was designated a federal holiday.

June 19, 1865, marked a huge turning point for Black people in America. But many slave owners refused to comply. And even celebrating the date was discouraged in the years to come.