Juneteenth - a celebration of the end of slavery

Juneteenth may not be a greeting card holiday, but the importance to millions of people across the country cannot be discounted.

The day will be celebrated in Vermilion Parish at McKinley Scott Park in Kaplan on Saturday and Sunday.

According to a website dedicated to the celebration, “From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.”

Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.

In 1865 the following declaration was read in Galveston: The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.

Juneteenth is traditionally celebrated as an outdoor festival or activity.

The celebration at McKinley Scott Park will feature food, fun jumps, games, speakers and music.

The activities started in the south and eventually spread across the nation. Poor People’s March to Washington in 1968, in particular, helped spread the tradition all across America—to the extent that Milwaukee and Minneapolis now host two of the largest Juneteenth celebrations in the nation.