Donald Trump Will No Longer Hold MAGA Rally On Juneteenth: My African-American Friends Suggested We Change It

Donald Trump

Donald Trump Will No Longer Hold MAGA Rally On Juneteenth: My African-American Friends Suggested We Change It

Update #2 (June 13th): Donald Trump has had a change of heart. Instead of hosting his next campaign rally on June 19th, a.k.a. Juneteenth, it will be the following day, on June 20th. He announced the news on Twitter after receiving lots of criticism for the controversial date selection.

He wrote Friday (June 12th),

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. I have therefore decided to move our rally to Saturday, June 20th, in order to honor their requests.

He continued,

…We have already had ticket requests in excess of 200,000 people. I look forward to seeing everyone in Oklahoma!

Original Story: President Donald Trump will resume his presidential campaign rallies this month. His first stop is scheduled for Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 19th, also known as Juneteenth, the commemoration of the day the Emancipation Proclamation was read in 1865, freeing enslaved African-Americans. More rallies in support of President Donald Trump are on the horizon for other states such as Arizona, Texas, and Florida as he campaigns for a second presidential term to be decided this November, but this particular rally has made headlines because of the significance of the selected date and location.

In 1921, the Greenwood community in Tulsa, known as Black Wall Street, was the home to many thriving businesses owned by African-Americans. However, on the night of May 31, 1921 through June 1, a mob of white Tulsa residents completely destroyed black businesses and killed hundreds of the community’s black residents after the lynching attempt of a black man falsely accused of the rape of white woman, Dick Rowland, failed. This fateful night became known as the Tulsa Race Massacre and is considered the worst incident involving racial violence in the history of the United States.

Donald Trump

President Donald Trump announced the controversial rally, which marks his first since the coronavirus pandemic took over the world, to a roundtable group of African-American supporters on June 10 and said he’s “looking forward to it.”  In response to President Trump‘s announcement, Trump campaign staffer Katrina Pierson compared his efforts to former Vice President Joe Biden and current presidential hopeful.

Joe Biden

She reportedly said,

As the party of Lincoln, Republicans are proud of the history of Juneteenth, which is the anniversary of the last reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. President Trump has built a record of success for Black Americans, including unprecedented low unemployment prior to the global pandemic, all-time high funding for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and criminal justice reform. Joe Biden spent last Juneteenth raising money at a private fundraiser and defending comments he made celebrating his work with segregationist senators.

What are your thoughts on President Donald Trump’s upcoming campaign event in Tulsa on June 19? Sound off in the comments!