The Big Island community continues to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Today  in Waimea, people are invited to gather in front of the Foodland from 3 p.m. until 4 p.m.

On Friday, June 19, people are invited to gather in front of Walgreen’s in Hilo from 12:30 until 3 p.m.

And on Saturday, June 20, people are invited to join in recognizing Juneteenth in Hilo from noon to 3 along Hilo Bayfront,.

According to juneteenth.com,  Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.  It is traditionally celebrated on June 19, because on  June 19, 1985,  Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free.  This was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

All those going to gatherings or marches are reminded to wear masks to avoid spreading any disease, especially COVID-19,  and bring water–and rain or sun gear as appropriate.  And signs are welcome.

The CDC has now issued new guidelines for those who will be going to gatherings, both for the organizers and those individuals attending.  CDC Director Robert Redfield and Jay C. Butler, M.D., CDC’s Deputy Director of Infectious Diseases and COVID-19 Response Incident Manager, said in a CDC press conference on June 12 that wearing masks, staying physically apart if possible, and frequent hand washing is critical to helping control the spread of the coronavirus which causes COVID-19

Photo of a June 19, 1900 Juneteenth celebration in Texas courtesy Wikimedia Commons, from the Austin Public Library.