Page 15 - Florida Sentinel 6-10-22

Juneteenth Event
Plans Made To Recognize Juneteenth
On July 14, 2021, the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners unanimously pass a motion brought by Commissioner Gwen Myers to henceforth declare that June 19th annu- ally be observed as "June- teenth" to honor the historical significance to the African American commu- nity and designate June- teenth as a County holiday for all County employees.
“On June 17, 2021, I was enormously moved as I saw on TV, President Joe Biden, sign the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act making June 19th a legal and federally recognized public holiday. Beside Pres- ident Biden for his signa-
ture, was 94-year-old ac- tivist Opal Lee, often re- ferred to as “the grandmother of June- teenth”, who through deter- mination helped nurture and grow the spirit of the holiday in her community of Fort Worth, Texas. It is be- cause of champions such as Ms. Lee, that this joyous day of recognition has fi- nally arrived,” says Com- missioner Myers.
“Furthermore, my mo- tion directed staff to take any and all actions neces- sary to include Juneteenth as a designated County holi- day in the 2022 Holiday Schedule and the Solid Waste Residential and Com- mercial Collection Services
COMMISSIONER GWEN MYERS
Contracts’”
For the very first time, all
County employees will be able to celebrate Juneteenth and enjoy the holiday with the hope that they will at-
tend various Juneteenth cel- ebrations, says Commis- sioners Myers.
On Wednesday, June 15, 2022, Commissioner Myers is inviting the public to attend an 8 A.M., June- teenth Flag Raising Cere- mony at Frederick B. Karl County Center, located at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., in front of County Center.
Also on June 15, at 9 A.M., at the beginning of the Board of County Commis- sioners meeting, Commis- sioner Myers will be presenting a Proclamation celebrating local organiza- tions who have helped cele- brate and promote Juneteenth. Representing these organizations are:
Maurice Allen, Chief Ex- ecutive Officer (CEO), Feed Yo Soul Fest; Reverend Willie G. Dixon, Founder, The Coach Foundation; Howard Harris and Robert Scott, Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Foundation; and Pastor Philetha Tucker John- son and Robin Lockett, Tampa Bay Juneteenth Coalition.
Both the Flag Raising Ceremony and the Procla- mation Presentation can be attended in person at County Center, watched on Frontier Channel 22, Spec- trum Channel 637 or watched live virtually at https://www.facebook.com/ events/403442278330916/.
FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 2022 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY PAGE 3-B