OBSERVER Staff Report

Dunkirk Mayor Kate Wdowiasz has proclaimed Saturday and Sunday as “Juneteenth Weekend” in the city.

Wdowiasz began her proclamation by noting the 29th Annual Juneteenth Celebration this weekend at Memorial Park, with this year’s theme of “We Won’t Go Back… Unity = Strength.”

“Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States dating back to 1865; and remembers African American achievement; while encouraging education, continuous self-development, respect for all cultures and planning for the future,” Wdowiasz wrote. “People of all races, nationalities and religions will be joining hands to acknowledge a period in our history that shaped, and continues to influence our society today.”

The mayor stated that “it is a time to honor and remember the unbreakable spirit and countless contributions of generations of African-Americans.”