CLAY COUNTY — Community members around the county celebrated the annual Juneteenth holiday with education and fun on Thursday. June 19, also known as "Freedom Day" or "Jubilee Day", …
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CLAY COUNTY— Community members around the county celebrated the annual Juneteenth holiday with education and fun on Thursday.
June 19, also known as "Freedom Day" or "Jubilee Day", commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States.
Although President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation—issued in 1863—abolished the act for good, it wasn't until two years later that the last of around 250,000 slaves were finally freed in Galveston, Texas.
Juneteenth is one of the oldest African American holidays in the U.S. and was federally recognized back in 2021.
To celebrate, many crowds came together in various locations around the county.
St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church in Middleburg hosted their annual Juneteenth Celebration service, followed by festivities at Hunter-Douglas Park.
The service consisted of joyful singing, a look back at history and several speakers. Once guests ventured to the park, they were met with music, food trucks, a bounce house, informational booths, and a poetry and pound cake contest.
Additionally, the Eagle Landing neighborhood in Oakleaf hosted a private event for residents, who came together in crowds to enjoy food truck vendors, music and contests.
