Juneteenth is a holiday that a lot of people around the world are finding out about. This year has brought on a lot of Juneteenth celebrations especially in America. From BBQ’s to parades no matter where you looked there was some type pf celebration going on. So, what is Juneteenth and why are people celebrating it?
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day, Jubilee Day, Liberation Day, and Emancipation Day, is a holiday celebrating the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the United States.
Juneteenth observances on Friday marked the 155th anniversary of the date Black slaves in Texas, at the farthest reaches of the Confederacy, learned they were free. This day started to be celebrated in Texas by African Americans and slowly spread to other parts of the country as the years of celebrations grew.
In Las Vegas there were a slew of different Juneteenth celebrations for everyone to attend across the city that ended with a grand firework show that could be seen throughout the city. The big push to celebrate Juneteenth stems from making sure that Black History is not erased from American History. Being that slaves were not free for the 4th of July there has been a major push to have both holidays seen as federal holidays in order to be more inclusive to all. These celebrations were not only to celebrate 155 years of being free but also to just celebrate being African American. Music and dancing created a joyful atmosphere at Lorenzi Park as community members gathered Friday afternoon to celebrate Juneteenth.
More than 400 people attended the Las Vegas celebration with masks on enjoying the food, music and each other. With cases of Covid-19 still steadily rising people safely celebrated while still being able to be in the midst of each other. Later on that day protests did continue on the Las Vegas strip showing that we can celebrate but there is still so much work that still needs to be done to make America a better place for all.
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