Lowcountry celebrates Juneteenth with family festival in N. Charleston
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Lowcountry is celebrating Juneteenth with a family festival in North Charleston featuring several musical acts and speakers to honor, what organizers call, Freedom Day for African Americans.
The festival on Sunday features live music, food, clothing and games at the Jenkins Institute off Azalea Drive.
“It’s a celebration, an African American celebration, and what we’re doing is honoring our Freedom Day,” Lowcountry Juneteenth Week organizer Cedric Smalls said. “Of course, everyone knows about Emancipation, and for us, June 19th is when we actually recognize the fact that the cavalry went down to Galveston, Texas and made it official.”
Juneteenth is short for June 19. On this day in 1865, federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to take control of the state and free all remaining slaves over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Event organizers said the federal holiday allows people to express themselves, whether it be with food, clothing or music, and say it took all Americans to make it a holiday.
They also said Juneteenth allows other cultures to experience the African American community.
The festival will run until late Sunday, with the final music act taking the stage at around 9:30 p.m.
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