140TH JUNETEENTH ANNIVERSARY TO DRAW RECORD PARTICIPATION ACROSS THE U.S. AND BEYOND

JUNETEENTH.COM Launches 140th Anniversary Campaign to Document Progress of African Americans Since 1865.

New Orleans, LA (BlackNews.com) - June 19th, 2005 marks the 140th year anniversary of the celebration of Juneteenth - the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. JUNETEENTH.com reports an increase in first-time celebrations, and announces the launch of the 140th Juneteenth Anniversary Campaign.

To participate, organizations and supporters are encouraged to log on and register their event and organization in the National Juneteenth Registry.

The 140th Juneteenth Anniversary Campaign is a 10-year initiative which will focus on assessment, education and acknowledgement of African American progress since 1865 - culminating with the 150th Juneteenth Anniversary.

Often cited as the African American Independence Day, Juneteenth has been the subject of city, state and federal legislation in recent years, establishing it as a special day of recognition, and as one of the fastest growing events in the country. The celebration of Juneteenth originates from Galveston, Texas, whereas on June 19th, 1865, the word of the Emancipation Proclamation reached the enslaved. Today, Juneteenth is embraced and celebrated by all races and ethnicities in honor, and in commemoration of African American culture and achievement.

JUNETEENTH.COM developed and maintains the National Juneteenth Registry - the largest database of Juneteenth celebrations, organizations and supporters in existence.

JUNETEENTH.com was launched in 1996 as a Web portal to communicate and support the efforts of Juneteenth organizations and to raise awareness and self-esteem in the African American community.