From its small beginnings at the South West Community Center, the Annual Syracuse Juneteenth Festival this weekend is estimated to attract a record 25-thousand people this year.
The event marks the date of the emancipation of a quarter million slaves in Galveston, Texas in 1865. At Friday’s flag raising ceremony, Juneteenth committee board member Gale Barnes addressed the diverse significance of the festival.
"It’s a bittersweet holiday. A time for celebration. But also a time of reflection, healing and hopefully a time for the country to come together and deal with its legacy.”
Attendees will be able to absorb the cultural significance along with a mix of music and soul food in Jubilee Park Friday, June 14th from 5 to 9 PM. The “Vision of Victory” parade will march Saturday June 15th at noon from Doctor Martin Luther King School to Clinton Square for more festivities. This year’s Juneteenththeme is Sankofa a word that mean using the past to better understand the present and future.