Juneteenth was made a federal holiday just before June 19th this year.

Juneteenth is also known as Freedom Day or Jubilee Day commemorates June 19, 1865, when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached enslaved people in Texas, more than two years after Lincoln had signed it.

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Juneteenth is now the 11th federal holiday and the first since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was added in 1983.

Here in Sioux Falls, Establishing Sustainable Connections held a Juneteenth celebration at Terrace Park West.

It was great to be part of this celebration the first year that Juneteenth was made a federal holiday!

The day started with a Freedom Walk at 10 am and then the festivities began at Terrace Park.

There were food trucks, vendors, inflatables, and music. The main stage schedule consisted of the singing of the Black National Anthem, performances from Monique Scarlett and April Coleman, and The Black Student Union from area high schools. Willette Caspers was the Keynote Speaker. The final performance was Jazz musician, Gary Brown!

There was also a DJ Battle, a live art auction, and a fashion show featuring clothes from local black-owned boutiques, Fabbossbabe and Coco's Lollishop.

It was definitely a day of celebration, but more importantly, it was a day of learning about this country's past and how we can all be better every day.

If you couldn't make it to this year's festivities, make sure to mark your calendar for next year.

Sioux Falls Celebrates Juneteenth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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