*A Juneteenth banner in South Carolina was met with criticism for depicting a white couple.
Locals in Greenville are now calling for a boycott of the Juneteenth ‘mega fest’ because white people were used in a promotional ad. The Juneteenth holiday acknowledges the emancipation of Black slaves after the Civil War. Since 1980, it has been recognized as a state holiday in Texas and other states have followed suit over the past decade. A bill declaring Juneteenth a national holiday was signed by President Biden in June 2021.
Over 50 banners were hung across Main Street in Greenville to honor of the upcoming 3-day festival in the city, hosted by the nonprofit organization Juneteenth GVL Inc. One of the banners featuring a White couple went viral after locals spoke out against it.
“I was appalled. I was saddened, I was angry,” Greenville’s Fighting Injustice Together activist Bruce Wilson said, Fox News reports. But he also called on Greenville locals to boycott the event.
“I’m the first to say that White America can celebrate Juneteenth, I just don’t think White America should be the face of Juneteenth. And I think that’s where the disconnect is. One, I’m asking this event be boycotted if they do not feel the need to remove this banner. Secondly, I’m asking everyone to call the city manager and voice your concerns about this particular banner,” Wilson said.
Juneteenth GVL Inc. wrote an apology amid the backlash, noting plans to remove the banner.
“We would like to offer an apology to the community for the presence of non-black faces being represented on two flags representing Juneteenth. We acknowledge this mistake having been made and will correct the error quickly,” the statement read.
“This error was an attempt at uniting all of Greenville and thereby a slight oversight on one individual’s part that prevented us from fully embracing the rich potential and celebrating the depth of the black culture through the message and meaning of Juneteenth, and for that we apologize to you the entire community,” the organization said.
The statement continued, “The flags in question will be removed as soon as possible.”
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