Women killed by police. The local artist who designed them said the yellow symbolizes hope and liberation. They paraded them down the streets of dallas today on this juneteenth. They celebrated juneteenth in oakland, california today. This was the port of oakland. Look at this, thousands of people, peaceful protesters, walked by the longshoremans union, commemorating the end of slavery in this country. They shut down the operations in the port of oakland today. This was across the bay, in San Francisco day, People Holding a socially distant juneteenth protest outside San Francisco city hall. There were more than a dozen different juneteenth rallies and demonstrations and celebrations just in washington, d. C. Today. Thousands of people crowded around the memorial for dr. Martin luther king and also the Washington Monument and also the Lincoln Memorial and in malcolm x park and in front of the white house. A group of hundreds of people marched in the rain to the steps of the Mayors Office at the Wilson Building demanding the mayor defund d. C. Police. To commemorate juneteenth in new york today, demonstrators crossed the brooklyn bridge, some on foot, some by bike, with signs taped to the handlebars. There were thousands of people in the streets of atlanta today, that city, of course, still grieving the Police Killing of Rayshard Brooks this past week. Atlantans marched from Centennial Olympic Park to city hall, the small replica of the statue of liberty looking over home to. There were Juneteenth Celebrations in galveston, texas, today, the bishgt place of juneteenth, where general Gordon Granger delivered the belated news in 1865 that all enslaved people were free, the civil war was over, the war had ended a month prior, slavery had been illegal for 2 1 2 years ever since president lincoln signed the emancipation proclamation. In galveston today, they did a dramatic reading of the order today in the same spot it was first read 155 years ago. This time, though, of course, they had to wear face masks while reading it and while listening. People of texas are informed that in accordance with the proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. Right now 47 states and washington, d. C. Recognize juneteenth as either an official state holiday or as a day of observance. As part of the sea change that we are experiencing and living through in this country right now in the wake of multiple Police Killings of africanamericans and this wave of protest and outrage that has washed over the country, part of the change we are living through, and making happen right now, includes a renewed push to make juneteenth an official holiday all over the country. Today Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called on the state legislature in minnesota to make that happen in his state. Earlier this week the governor of virginia announced that juneteenth would henceforth become a paid state holiday in virginia. Both the state of new york and the city of portland, oregon did the same for public employees. Theres a push on the federal level too, and it is a bipartisan one, with two bills being put forward, one by a group of democratic senators, another by republican senator john cornyn of texas, both of which propose to make june 19th a National Federal holiday recognizing the end of slavery. In some parts of the country, though, federal holiday or not, celebrating and honoring juneteenth is already embedded into the cultural fabric. Take tulsa, oklahoma, for example. Tulsa, of course, was the site of the horrific race massacre, the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, the massacre of africanamericans by a group of white people who attacked an affluent africanamerican neighborhood in tulsa. They destroyed businesses. They attacked the black residents. They burned the whole community to the ground. Hundreds of africanamericans killed in that attack. Thousands of people displaced. Today, tulsa held a fairly massive Juneteenth Celebration. 99 years after the Tulsa Race Massacre. There was a march through the city of tulsa. There were speeches and music. There were art lessons for the kids. In one of the more somber moments today, protesters walked an empty casket through the streets to remember the people who died in the race massacre almost a century ago. The importance of marking juneteenth has been enshrined in tulsas culture for a long, long time now. Community organizers had long planned for today to be a big Juneteenth Celebration in tulsa. They initially had canceled todays event, though, because of concerns about coronavirus. Of course shortly after that, though, the president decided that coronavirus be damned, he wanted tulsa to be the site of the first big rally for his reelection effort at a 19,000person arena in tulsa. The president s Campaign Announced initially that that rally would be held on june 19th, on juneteenth. When that announcement was made, it came as this remarkable slap in the face, right, deciding to hold it on juneteenth, but in tulsa of all places, the site of one of the worst incidents of racial terrorism in american history, that massacre of africanamericans, of which we are entering into the centennial year, right . Widely considered to be the single worst incident of racial violence in american history. He wants to go there on juneteenth. Especially after what hes been saying recently on racial matters. Faced with that announcement from the trump campaign, Community Organizers in tulsa did what they thought needed to be done. They uncanceled. They rescheduled tulsas previously canceled juneteenth commemoration, basically as a way to counterprogram what the president was doing in their town. Given the widespread backlash that that announced trump rally caused, the president was forced to move it off juneteenth and moved it to tomorrow night instead. But regardless of that late concession, theres a movement that is happening in tulsa right now that has a totally different cast than it otherwise would have had. I mean, President Trumps decision to hold a rally there on juneteenth has now amplified celebrations that just a few weeks ago had been called off because of covid. Given how bad things are in oklahoma right now in terms of the epidemic, Community Activists elsewhere in the state have postponed events that they had scheduled even for this weekend. There was due to be a black lives matter event scheduled to take place in Oklahoma City tonight. It was called off at the last minute because they didnt think it would be safe. Organizers said they expected 10,000 people to turn out for an event in Oklahoma City tonight, what they were calling a solidarity event with 10,000 people on hand, they thought it would be impossible to hold it safely in terms of concerns about the virus. And so they canceled tonights planned events in Oklahoma City. But not in tulsa. Given everything thats happened around tulsa and the president s decisions and all of this, an event was seen as simply too important to put off until a later date. Its with that backdrop that we heard from reverend al sharpton, reverend sharpton was the headline speaker for the Juneteenth Celebration in tulsa. Here is part of what the rev had to say. We celebrate the day, in all this country, those that are humane, those that are committed to decency, should celebrate because juneteenth represented the fresh day in this country that you did not have legalized slavery. When members of the Senate Proposed making a federal holiday out of juneteenth today, it ought to be a federal holiday because its the first day this country stepped toward living up to the model that it had announced, that all men were created equal. [ applause ] dont forget that most of them that wrote that, owned slaves. Most of them that wrote that, didnt even respect their own women. Women couldnt vote til 1920. Thats why im a little puzzled when i hear people Walking Around talking about make America Great again. Give me the date that america was great for everybody. [ cheers and applause ] it wasnt great for blacks when we were enslaved. And then had to fight jim crow. And then fight for the right to vote. It wasnt great for white women who couldnt even vote and was reduced to, you stay in the kitchen. It wasnt great for those of latino and asian descent who were not welcomed here even though you had a statue in the harbor saying bring me your tired and huddled masses that yearn to be free. When was America Great . For everybody. Reverend al sharpton speaking tonight at juneteenth commemoration in tulsa, oklahoma, on the eve of the president s rally there that has caused so much consternation in that city, in that state, and even around the country. As that event, that Juneteenth Celebration starts to wrap up tonight, the city of tulsa has to prepare for tomorrows event with the president. And to be honest, the convergence of all these people around tulsa, people celebrating juneteenth, people who have been camping out, waiting in line to be sure they can see the president , its already led to some confusion. Last night the mayor of tulsa imposed an overnight curfew for downtown tulsa for friday and saturday nights, based on what he said were projections that 100,000 people were expected to converge in the area surrounding the bok center where the president is going to hold his rally. But today, the secret service apparently told the mayor or asked the mayor to lift that curfew. So they announced the curfew last night. Now the mayor has lifted the curfew, even as the president has been stoking tensions as best as he can on twitter. The president threatening today, threatening any protesters who might show up at his event tomorrow, threatening that they wouldnt be treated nicely. Theres also been a little bit of confusion over where overflow crowds might go tomorrow night. For weeks the president and his campaign have been touting the huge response theyve had to the announcement of this rally, saying theyve been scoping out overflow space for the hundreds of thousands of supporters who are going to turn up but wont be able to get into the main event. Nobody knows if thats actually happening. The tulsa world is reporting today its unclear where all these supposed extra supporters are going to go if they dont make it into the bok center. Quote, contrary to previous reports, the Convention Center will not be used for overflow. It was unclear whether other overflow arrangements were being made. According to the tulsa world, it also was unclear when the bok center will open up and start letting people in tomorrow. Quote, the president s website and bok management say the doors will open at 3 00 p. M. But an ad in the tulsa world newspaper says 10 00 a. M. That could make a big difference in terms of what happens in the streets and how well they get along. There are concerns whether this event or any event like this should be happening anywhere in the world, especially in oklahoma, where there has been a dramatic rise in coronavirus cases recently, where oklahoma has seen a spike in terms of record numbers this week. But where tulsa is actually the worst spike in oklahoma. Yesterday the Oklahoma Supreme Court heard arguments about whether to require the adherence to cdc guidelines at the trump rally tomorrow. An attorney for local residents and businesses that brought this case argued that Going Forward as is, Going Forward with the trump rally the way theyre planning to do it, would pose a huge risk to the public in terms of health. We would be seeking the same relief no matter if there was a concert, no matter if there was an nba game, or no matter if this was another political candidate. This has nothing to do with politics. This has everything to do with public safety. This is not a question of whether additional people will be infected and die in tulsa, its just a question of how many. People are going to be allowed in and to sit as closely as possible to each other, 19,000 people chanting and screaming and yelling in a big box in the middle of the worst pandemic we may have ever faced as a country. Its madness to let this event go forward. Its madness to let this event go forward. Ill say that the residents who brought that case also proffered to the Oklahoma Supreme Court that if somebody had tried to intentionally design a Delivery System that would maximize the communal spread of this virus, the president s rally tomorrow is what somebody would design to do that. Nevertheless, today the Oklahoma Supreme Court rejected that bid. And so the trump rally will be allowed to go forward without following the Trump Administrations own cdc guidelines about how to keep people safe. The cdc guidelines describe this type of event, a large group of people indoors for a prolonged period of time, as the highest risk event that you could design. When it comes to the potential spread of the virus. Oklahoma is a state that has now recorded four Straight Days of record numbers of new coronavirus cases. Tulsa has been hitting new records itself this week. Tulsa, oklahoma tonight is the center of two crucially important stories, both coming to a head, both very much live right now. Joining us now is democratic Oklahoma State representative Regina Goodwin who represents the states 73rd district. That includes the part of tulsa where juneteenth events are going on at this hour. Shes also a native of the horrific greenwood district, the site of the massacre in 1921. Its the place where her grandfather took over the oklahoma eagle newspaper which is still in her family to this day. Representative goodwin, thank you so much for making time to be with us tonight. I know this is a fraught and fascinating day in tulsa. Thank you, rachel. It is a fraught and fascinating day, but were here. Tell me about how these multiple strands are coming together for you. Today being juneteenth, the presence of the president s supporters, the planned event for the president tomorrow, Coronavirus Crisis right now in oklahoma and tulsa specifically. How are these things coming together for you and your constituents right now . So what we have here, as you said, its a unique situation. Were in tulsa, were accustomed to challenge. And no one would ask for this. But we felt that were going to have to deal with the situation and do what weve always done. What weve always done here is take care of each other. Weve always fought for justice. And weve also hopefully done our ancestors proud in terms of lengthening their legacy. So we have to continue to focus on justice, equity, and all things that have always mattered. We have never actually received justice in tulsa, oklahoma. So thats an ongoing fight for us. What do you think will happen tomorrow in the city, when the president s rally happens . We dont ev we dont know, and we cant tell how many people will actually turn up and what proportion of those people will be able to get inside the venue. We dont know what will happen if there is a significant number of people who cant get inside the venue who are essentially left outside in tulsa with no overflow capacity. What is your expectations in terms of whats going to happen there tomorrow . It seems like a tinder box. So what we expect here in tulsa, oklahoma, as weve always done, were not going to be distracted by the divisiveness of racism. Were not going to be distracted by the foolishness of double talk. Were going to continue, rachel, to do what weve always done here. What weve got to do here is have an overflow of justice. What weve got to do here is vote come june 30 as it relates to medicaid expansion. There are real issues in tulsa, oklahoma. And theyll be going on when this all blows over. Were going to be here and were going to hopefully handle what we do with dignity and grace. There has been consternation, i know, over some of the mayors decisions. I know that there has been a lot of heartache and a lot of concern voiced including by health workers, by doctors in tulsa, about the event thats happening tomorrow and about how things seem to be going really in the wrong direction in terms of coronavirus. Yes. Can you talk to me at all about how you feel about oklahomas leadership right now on coronavirus and whether smart decisions are being made . Ive been very concerned, for example, to see the governor say at this point in the epidemic in oklahoma that people can go back into Nursing Homes and start visiting in Nursing Homes again, which seems like a very risky decision. How do you feel about leadership in your state on that issue . I can tell you unequivocally that i thought that the governor opened oklahoma up too soon. The numbers have been much higher than had been basically told to the public. So the numbers are increasing. We didnt really get the real data that we should have gotten. And then oklahoma, they just picked a date, and it was not according to data. And they opened oklahoma up too soon. And i think weve found ourselves in this predicament because of that leadership. Ive not been quiet about that. And