President Donald Trump announced he is pushing back his first rally since March to June 20 after facing criticism for holding it during Juneteenth. The rally was originally scheduled for June 19.
The rally will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, a city that saw extensive violence in 1921 as the city’s prominent black population were brutally victimized as part of mass hate crimes.
“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,” Trump tweeted.
Trump said that the rally had 200,000 requests for tickets.
Juneteenth, also called Emancipation Day, is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States.
African-Americans and others celebrate the day much like the Fourth of July with parties and picnics with families and friends.