Erie County, NY – Erie County Legislator Jeanne Vinal, D- Amherst, presented a proclamation at the Amherst Senior Center recognizing Juneteenth on Thursday, June 17th.
Juneteenth is considered the formal end of slavery in the United States, and marks the day in 1865 when Union troops arrived in Texas. Recently the State of New York and the City of Buffalo along with the United States House of Representatives along with numerous school districts have opted to formally observe Juneteenth as a holiday. The Town of Amherst itself has also declared Juneteenth a work holiday which will be observed this year.
“I will advocate on a County level to include Juneteenth as a recognized holiday where we celebrate the multi-cultural history of our nation and also solemnly commemorate the ending of a very dark time in the United States of American,” stated Legislator Vinal.