ST. LOUIS – Juneteenth has been celebrated across the nation Wednesday.
June 19 marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Tx., found out they had been freed after the end of the Civil War. Many celebrations took place across the city as many people had the day off.
Congress passed legislation in 2021 to mark Juneteenth as a federal holiday, and President Joe Biden signed the bill into law.
Washington Avenue at the House of Soul St. Louis held its fifth annual Juneteenth street festival with food, vendors, live music, and more.
Mayor Tishaura Jones presented a proclamation at the event to commemorate the celebrate the history and strength of the community on Juneteenth. Congresswoman Cori Bush also visited the third annual Juneteenth Freedom Celebration at the Griot Museum of Black History.
“It’s Juneteenth and reparation, it’s Juneteenth and healthcare, it’s Juneteenth and ending mass incarceration, it’s Juneteenth and ending redlining. It’s just all the things that are going to make our community whole–that’s what we are celebrating today,” Bush said.
Organizers of the street festival event say it is a way to keep the holiday alive and pass the tradition down.
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