Public Invited to Juneteenth Ceremony Wednesday, June 16.

Written by Kristen Schmutz

Belden Communications News

Mayor Derrick Henry and members of the Juneteenth Festival Committee will be declaring a Juneteenth Independence Day in the City of Daytona Beach during a brief ceremony at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, June 16.

According to a release, "Juneteenth” is a combination of June and Nineteenth. It has been celebrated by the African-American community for more than 150 years, as it was the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Texas and freed the slaves. The announcement came two-and-a-half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

The City has sponsored the annual recognition of Juneteenth for more than 20 years. The ceremony will be held on the front steps of City Hall, located off Ridgewood Avenue in Daytona Beach.