PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – People from all walks of life gathered on Germantown Avenue Saturday for the 18th annual Juneteenth Festival. It was a show of unity as many came to celebrate African-American culture.
“We just all come together in the spirit of love,” Edward Fields said.
“We’re just enjoying the day with the people and the culture,” Romani Abney said. “I think that’s what’s being emphasized here. The culture.”
There were two blocks full of vendors at the festival, showcasing Black-owned businesses. There were vendors at the festival selling Afrocentric clothing and products.
There was also a wide range of dining options and a stage where people could dance and have fun.
Juneteenth is a holiday that commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom. It happened more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.
Those who attended the festival said it was an opportunity to have fun, but it was also a day to learn about the holiday and why it is important to celebrate it.
“It’s very important to know where you come from, because you don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been. So, to take the time to establish and appreciate our foundation, our culture, it’s a great thing,” Fields said.
It was a day to celebrate, but also a day to reflect on how we can learn from the past in the hope of creating a better future for all.
“It’s a good thing for all of us to come and enjoy and really reflect on what we’ve been through and where we want to go,” Abney said.
