Today we celebrate the end of slavery in the United States. Juneteenth is a combo name for June 19, 1865 when Union soldiers freed the enslaved people of Texas shortly after the end of our Civil War. It's a federal holiday but not a state holiday here in Wisconsin. Not yet, anyway.
The "offical" Madison Juneteenth celebration will be tomorrow beginning with a parade down Park Street which starts at the Madison Labor Temple and ends at Penn Park where people will whoop it up.
Today is Juneteenth, a day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
You can listen to the stories of formerly enslaved people online and get first-hand accounts of life under slavery.
There's an interview here from 1975(?!) It's strange to think that there was still a formerly enslaved person alive during my lifetime.
Here in Madison there will be various Juneteenth events but I suppose the main one is the Juneteenth Freedom Parade which, I believe, ends at Penn Park where the big party happens. More info here.
I've been listening to some Staple Singers today and you should too.
