Wilmington’s Christian Love Worship Cathedral observes Juneteenth tonight.
The holiday, which is celebrated across the country, commemorates the day the last slaves in the US were freed in Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865.
In 2000, Delaware became the fifth state in the country to recognize Juneteenth as a state holiday, according to the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation. The state code marks it as every third Saturday in June.
But Delawareans have been celebrating the holiday since before it was officially recognized by the state.
“We kind of look at, as African Americans, as our Fourth of July. That was our day of freedom,” said Sandy Clark, treasurer of the Delaware Juneteenth Association, which has driven the First State’s observance of the day for 24 years.
Clark also organizes the annual Juneteenth Pageant & Family Enrichment program, which was held last weekend.
This year’s Miss Juneteenth, Jovanna Cardenti, focused on the issue of school violence. Clark says the event includes an essay contest and educational programming for youths on gun and domestic violence, substance abuse, and what Juneteenth is all about.
“Juneteenth is just amazing to them because they didn’t realize what our ancestors went through,” Clark said. “Not only back in 1865 but just think about in the ‘60s, especially here in Delaware, you couldn’t even sit at a Woolworth’s counter.”
Clark notes that while things have improved, the present day is full of its own challenges—not just for African Americans, but for immigrants and other marginalized groups.
She says that though the holiday commemorates an important day in African American history, the spirit of Juneteenth is relevant to everyone.
“We use the term ‘No one is free, until all peoples are free’.”
The Juneteenth observance continues this weekend, with Saturday’s Philadelphia Juneteenth MusicFest and Parade and Delaware Juneteenth Association’s second annual Freedom Gala on Sunday.
