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John H. Thompson, Sr.

Co-Founder/ Chief Executive Officer

John H. Thompson, Sr. co-founded Juneteenth America, Inc. in 1995. He also serves as Vice Chairman for the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF), an organization that advocates for state recognitions of Juneteenth to see the historical event become a national holiday.

Most recently in 1994, the era of the "Modern Juneteenth Movement" began when a group of Juneteenth leaders from across the country gathered in New Orleans, Louisiana, at Christian Unity Baptist Church, Rev. Dwight Webster, Pastor, to work for greater national recognition of Juneteenth. The historic meeting was convened by Rev. John Mosley, Director of the New Orleans Juneteenth Freedom Celebration.

Several national Juneteenth organizations were ignited from this historic gathering beginning with the National Association of Juneteenth Lineage (NAJL), followed by the National Juneteenth Celebration Association (NJCA), the National Juneteenth Christian Leadership Council (NJCLC) and the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation (NJOF).

Shortly prior to this gathering, Juneteenth America, Inc., (JAI) was founded by John Thompson, who organized the first National Juneteenth Convention & Expo, and the National Juneteenth Celebraton Foundation (NJCF) founded by Ben Haith, the creator of the Juneteenth Flag.

Thousands of African-American slaves in Texas had no idea that Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863 set them free at the close of the AmericanCivil War.

It wasn’t until 2 1/2 years later, on June 19, 1865, that federal troops arrived in Galveston to enforce the proclamation.

The end of slavery is annually commemorated through a cultural event known as Juneteenth, now recognized as a holiday in 14 states, including California.

“It’s not just a black event, it’s an American event,” said John Thompson, founder of Juneteenth America, a non-profit group that educates people about Juneteenth and lobbies for it to be recognized by more governments. “Uniting the union and freeing the slaves are all American events.”

“This event recreates the spirit and collective environment that nurtured Dr. King’s efforts and fostered a movement that changed the country,” says Founder of Juneteenth America, Inc., John H. Thompson, Sr.

“And it is in this momentum, that we should continue to recognize efforts and events affecting the makeup of our American heritage.”