A significant number of corporations are withdrawing support from Juneteenth celebrations, leading to smaller events and cancellations across various locations. The Juneteenth Music Festival in Denver has lost over a dozen sponsors, while the Southern Colorado Juneteenth Festival had to relocate due to diminished corporate backing. Several local governments have canceled celebrations, citing fiscal challenges, including one in West Virginia hosted annually since 2017. The National Endowment for the Arts' cut to funding has further impacted local organizations, highlighting a troubling trend of declining support for diversity and inclusion initiatives despite Juneteenth's federal holiday status since 2021.
More than a dozen companies have backed out of the Juneteenth Music Festival in Denver, executive director Norman Harris recently told The Associated Press.
The governor's office told the outlet that it would not be hosting the event "due to the continued fiscal challenges facing West Virginia."
Several local organizations will no longer be able to hold celebrations after losing support from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Juneteenth, recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, is observed every June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S.
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