Angela McNair: On Juneteenth, Erie celebrates freedom, remembers the past and moves ahead
Juneteenth, a long-celebrated holiday also known as Jubilee Day, Emancipation Day, Freedom Day, and Black Independence Day, was recognized as a federal holiday on June 17th 2021. In the United States, it commemorates the emancipation of African Americans. It is also often observed for celebrating African American culture.
The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date in 1865, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.
The year following 1865, freedmen in Texas organized the first of what became the annual celebration of "Jubilee Day" on June 19. In the ensuing decades, Juneteenth commemorations featured music, barbecues, prayer services and other activities, and as Black people migrated from Texas to other parts of the country the Juneteenth tradition spread.
Celebrations have continued across the United States into the 21st century and typically include prayer and religious services, speeches, educational events, family gatherings and picnics, and festivals with music, food, and dancing.
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Juneteenth continues to be important, not just because it marks the end of slavery, but because it becomes a ritualized, political holiday that tells and retells the story of Black people's ongoing struggle in a nation that's so invested in forgetting.
Juneteenth has also become an opportunity for larger events such as parades, block parties, festivals and pop-up events that assist with local minority-owned businesses showcasing their talents, services and goods.
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In Erie, as a young woman who has always been involved in the community, I took the opportunity to follow leaders who hosted Juneteenth and revived the movement that has been ongoing for years. We started at Pfeiffer-Burleigh Elementary School and continued celebrating at the Booker T. Washington Center. Now we have moved the celebration to Perry Square in downtown Erie. We will be celebrating culture, music and supporting local minority-owned business. This year's main celebration, a block party, will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, June 17th. The Breeze Band will be our headlining band. This is our largest celebration to date as far as participants and vendors. We plan on also giving some special awards to community members.
We are also excited to have been able to reach out to form collaborative partnerships with other organizations such as Booker T. Washington Center and Erie's Black Wall Street.
For more information, to sponsor or donate, please email: EriesJuneteenthCelebration@gmail.com.
Angela McNair, of Erie, is one of the lead organizers of Erie's Juneteenth celebration.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: McNair: Erie's Juneteenth a celebration of Black history, emancipation
