General Gordon Granger

ALPENA — The Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Northeast Michigan is hosting a free Juneteenth program from 7 to 8 p.m. on Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church, 119 W. Dunbar St. in Alpena.

The program, titled “1865, The Union Army and Juneteenth,” will be presented by Sandra Pilgrim-Lewis.

“Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, accompanied by Union soldiers, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation,” a press release from the MLK Committee states. “The delivery and enforcement of General Order No. 3, along with the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, required repeated efforts and immense bravery from the Union soldiers. For many of them, it was their first encounter with the harsh realities of slavery and human bondage.”

The press release continues, “This pivotal moment in history, known as Juneteenth, highlights the challenges and successes of bringing the news of emancipation to those still held in slavery, as seen through the experiences of the Union soldiers who delivered it.”

This program is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted, and will go toward the work of the MLK Committee. Light refreshments will be provided.

For more information, email aBelovedCommunity.alpena@gmail.com.