Juneteenth
Hundreds Gather In Birmingham To Celebrate Juneteenth
Cities across the state are celebrating Juneteenth, the end of slavery. In Birmingham, hundreds gathered at Kelly Ingram Park to commemorate the holiday.
Juneteenth: A Celebration of the End of Slavery
June 19th 1865 -- or Juneteenth – marked the official end of slavery in the U.S. Barry McNealy, an educator with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, says even though President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863, it didn’t free all slaves.
Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Celebrates Juneteenth in New Way
Today in some deep south states is the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. It began on June 19th, 1865, after Union soldiers finally got word to these states that slavery had ended — almost 3 years after Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute normally hosts a festival, but for this particular anniversary members decided to do something different.
Almost 150 Years Later, Many Still Unaware of Juneteenth Holiday
Juneteenth marks the official end of slavery in the United States. On June 19, 1865, the last slaves in Texas were finally told they were free - a full two and half years after Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Though Juneteenth is widely celebrated across the U.S., some local educators fear that students, and even older adults, are still unaware of Juneteenth's history and cultural importance. For WBHM, intern Morgan Smith has more.
