The Wisconsin African American Tobacco Prevention Network (WAATPN) provided tobacco and quit smoking information to Juneteenth festival participants. The Network participated in the festival to help increase tobacco awareness with hopes of reducing tobacco related disparities. African Americans smoke at higher rates (33% compared to about 20% of the general population), making us twice as [...]

Sunday, June 19th marked the 40th Anniversary for Milwaukee’s celebration of Juneteenth Day. Despite the heavy rain in the morning, the parade opened the daylong celebration down Martin Luther King Drive. The rain eventually stopped and the streets filled with people celebrating through dance, music, food and other activities that filled the day. The annual [...]

Juneteenth Day 2010, the first celebration since the holiday was made official opened in grand style with the annual ribbon cutting ceremony and parade. Pictured above are state officials, Miss Juneteenth of 2010 and her court. The street festival began at Burleigh and ended at Center Street. The weather was hot and sunny, and there [...]

By State Representative Leon Young This coming Saturday marks the 145th anniversary of Juneteenth Day. As in years past, countless Black Milwaukeeans will again take to the streets in observance of this historic event. But, what is the real significance of Juneteenth Day? Though Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862, with [...]

“Accomplished with the support of people across the state,” Coggs says Sen. Spencer Coggs’ Progressive legislative agenda of educating children, protecting toddlers in day care centers, bolstering the rights of workers, providing justice for the under-privileged and enacting landmark legislation recognizing key individuals and events in the Civil Rights Movement met with success as the [...]

Freedom Scholarship Essay Contest enters third year Alderwoman Milele A. Coggs is pleased to open her now annual Freedom Scholarship Essay Contest to entrants for 2010. The deadline for the scholarship falls on June 19, 2010, part of the city’s annual Juneteenth festivities. The contest, which the Alderwoman created when she took office as part [...]

By Lynda Jones As we move forward into another year, a look into the top stories for Milwaukee desires a last look. For Milwaukee 2009 was a year of a few highs, some real lows and you decide on the rest. The number one highlight that Milwaukee can finally celebrate was the Juneteenth Day legislation [...]

Sen. Spencer Coggs’ bill making Juneteenth Day, or June 19th, a legal holiday in Wisconsin, was signed into law Tuesday by Gov. Doyle in Milwaukee before a huge crowd of supporters at the Northcott Neighborhood House. Rep. Tamara Grigsby was the Assembly author of the bill. “Passage of the Juneteenth Bill has been a long [...]