Capital City Cultural Outreach presents Juneteenth Freedom day event

Published July 2, 2021

**A group of children cool off in the fountain at Cascades.**

**Tifany Hill was host during the entertainment segment of the Freedom Day celebration.**

**There were plenty of choices for food at the Freedom Day celebration.**

There was no shortage of food, fun and entertainment during a Juneteenth event on June 19 at Cascades Park. The event attracted a crowd, despite intermittent showers throughout the day.

People greeted friends for the first time since the pandemic. Some were seen gesturing hugs, but asked “are you a hugger” before going in for the hug.

In a few cases some didn’t know a lot about the back story about the celebrating of the end to slavery. On June 19, 1865 slaves were freed in Texas, a month after a proclamation was read in Florida.

However, historians have been split over those proclamations, deciding to consider the 13th Amendment that was signed in December 1865 as the document that officially ended slavery.

President Joe Biden recently signed Juneteenth into law as an official federal holiday.

Photos by St. Clair Murraine