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Montgomery celebrates Juneteenth weekend

Montgomery celebrated Juneteenth on Saturday commemorating the freedom of enslaved people in America.

Montgomery celebrates Juneteenth outside the Rosa Parks Library and Museum on Saturday, June 17, 2023. JACOB HOLMES/APR

The Birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement celebrated Juneteenth Saturday with several events all across the city.

This marks the third anniversary of the date becoming a federal holiday, starting in June 2021. It is the first new federal holiday since Martin Luther King Jr. Day was adopted in 1983.

The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when slaves in Texas were officially freed following the emancipation proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln. The date has been used to represent the emancipation of all slaves in the U.S.

The Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts celebrated African American culture and creativity while the Troy University Rosa Parks Museum brought live music and vendors to Montgomery Street and allowed free admission to the museum.

A celebration at the Riverfront has been postponed due to the possibility of inclement weather Saturday, but is being rescheduled.

The rest of the state continues to celebrate the holiday today with parades and celebrations from Mobile to Huntsville.

Jacob Holmes is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can reach him at [email protected]

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