BUFFALO N.Y. (WKBW) — Juneteenth has such a rich history and it came alive in the Queen city with a plethora of celebrations lined up.
In June of 1865 in Galveston Texas slaves were informed they were not just free but they had been free for two years in reference to the emancipation proclamation.
In 2021 President Biden signed legislation making June 19th or Juneteenth a federal holiday.
Ways you can celebrate Juneteenth:
A family celebrating in the Queen City said they are happy with how far Juneteenth has come and always strives to educate the next generation.
"Ive been celebrating Juneteenth since I was a little kid and it just became a national holiday I'm so proud of it. We live in LA now but we come back and we came back this year to be apart of the festival and be apart of Juneteenth because we know its important," they said.
Executive Director for the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor, Terry Alford, said being together is what June 19th is all about.
"We celebrate because we have always found ways to overcome. Martin Luther King said 'free at last free at last good God all mighty we're free at last.' We're always going to continue to try to be free in our own ways but we celebrate the victories that we have when you look at the corridor for instance," he said.
