President Trump announced that his upcoming rally in Oklahoma will be pushed back a day after facing criticism for planning an event that would fall on Juneteenth.
The Tulsa, Oklahoma, campaign rally on June 19 will be moved back a day, the president announced on social media late Friday night.
“We had previously scheduled our #MAGA Rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for June 19th — a big deal. Unfortunately, however, this would fall on the Juneteenth Holiday. Many of my African American friends and supporters have reached out to suggest that we consider changing the date out of respect for this Holiday, and in observance of this important occasion and all that it represents,” Trump tweeted. “I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests.”
The president had faced criticism from Democrats, including presumptive 2020 presidential nominee Joe Biden, for the originally scheduled event.
Juneteenth, also known as Emancipation Day or Black Independence Day, is recognized as a holiday in 47 states and the District of Columbia on June 19. The date marks the anniversary of the day in 1865 when Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery in Galveston, Texas.
Tulsa is the city where one of the deadliest race massacres in the United States occurred in 1921. The district known as “Black Wall Street,” home to hundreds of black-owned businesses, was destroyed during the riots.
The upcoming rally will be the president’s first since he stopped holding them amid the coronavirus outbreak.
