The celebration of the event will be held on June 16 at McKinley Scott Park including, Israel Parker Drive and the North side of Herod Village.
Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. Though the Emancipation Proclamation of Abraham Lincoln, which was signed and made official on January 1, 1863 had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new executive order and President Lincoln’s questionable authority over the rebellions states.
On June 19, 1865, the Union Soldiers led by Major General Gordon Granger landed at Galveston Texas with the news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. General Granger’s first order of business was to read to the people of Texas General Order Number 3, which stated:
“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 here to fore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”
One of the reactions of this profound news was that many left the plantations; and the desire to reach family members in neighboring states drove them into Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, settling into these areas as free men and women. History of Juneteenth maybe found at http://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm.
A range of activities will be provided to entertain such as: barbequing, basketball free throw contest in which a prize will be awarded to the winners, lots of booths from which food will be sold and served, cake bingos, Guest Speakers, Recognition of Special Honors, games, fun jumps, and much more!
The location of this event is the North side of Herod Village on Israel Parker Drive and McKinley Scott Park.
For more information contact Joseph Pillette at (337) 256-6272 or Elizabeth Landry at (337) 288-4663
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