In Leroy Brooks' version of the history of Juneteenth, in June of 1865, two months after the end of the Civil War, Union forces notified a group of slaves in Texas that they were free men, women and children. Upon learning this, the slaves in question went before the town council to secure funding for a spontaneous celebration. Most of the money was used to bring in outside entertainment because -- let's face it -- entertainment was the most important aspect.
After a six-month effort to bend th
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