President Obama and Family to be Saluted at Juneteenth Festival

Douglasville, GA, June 03, 2009 --(PR.com)-- The Juneteenth Festival that is set for June 20th in Douglasville, GA at 2:00 PM will Salute the President and his family. Sponsored by BEHE, it will also promote unity and positive families everywhere. Juneteenth celebrations started in Galveston Texas in 1865 when General Granger and 1,800 troops of the Union Army announced that the Civil War had ended and all enslaved persons were free. Until then, President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 had been ignored there. What may be the most ironic, is that in 2007 Douglasville, GA was the poster city for demonstrations and rally's in the wake of the Genarlow Wilson case. Wilson, a minor at the time, was imprisoned for having consensual sex with another minor. Activists called for the removal of District Attorney David McDade and Wilson was later released from prison. That case was paramount in focusing on the racial disparities in Douglas County and the State of Georgia. Now, two years later, the city of Douglasville in Douglas county is the backdrop for a historical celebration that sets the tone for racial harmony and understanding. Mayor Thompson, Councilwoman LaShun Burr-Danley, Councilwoman Callye Holmes, Commisioner Freddie Ashmon and Douglas County Sherriff Miller are just a few of the many supporters of this festival. This festival will be hosted by Anissa Centers of WSB-TV, Lorraine Jacques-White of WAOK 1380 AM radio and Chris Askew of 89.3 FM Radio. With a host of speakers and entertainers, family fun, food and many vendors, this salute to President Obama and the first family promises to be an event to remember. The event is free and open to the public. More information is available at http://behedouglasville.webs.com or by calling (678) 715-7559. A press conference will be held at the Old Courthouse Museum on Thursday, June 18, 2009 at 1:00 PM at 6754 Broad Street, Douglasville, GA 30134.

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