PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The city Philadelphia celebrated Juneteenth with a parade and festival Sunday.
“Beautiful. It’s amazing,” said Deborah Brown, who was there to watch the parade.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker led the parade down South 52nd Street.
“One Philly, one united city!” Parker said along the parade route.
It was a show of unity in Philadelphia in honor of an important day in history.
“I love it,” said Azma Magee.
It was a celebration in memory of June 19, 1865, the day enslaved African Americans learned of their freedom in Galveston, Texas. It happened more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, which marked the end of slavery in America.
“I’m very emotional,” said Frances Woodlin, who shed tears as she watched the parade route pass by. She said she was glad the city was coming together.
“It makes things better and I hope to see more things like this,” she said.
Magee said she uses the parade to teach her children what the holiday really means.
“It means a lot to me as a parent raising young black men in this city. If we didn’t have freedom, I don’t know where my sons would be, let alone my daughters,” she said.
And Deborah Brown loved seeing people from all walks of life here to celebrate.
“That’s excellent. We’ve come a long way,” she said.
From a parade to a festival, the celebration of Black history and culture continued at Malcolm X Park.
Rudolph Wallace said he has lived in the city for decades and seen its ups and downs, but events like these give him confidence that things will get better.
“Bringing people together is very good. It’s very exciting. It gives you hope,” he said.
