Saturday, July 5, 2008

Juneteenth - 2008

A couple of weeks ago I was asked to shoot the Juneteenth celebration in the local community. The event was sponsored by the local African Amercian Affinity group and had an awesome turnout. Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. In order to truly appreciate the opportunities each of us have enjoyed in our lives, it's important to look back from whence we've come. I hope you enjoy this slideshow of our local celebration of Juneteenth.

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