Historic Event Coming To Tuscaloosa, Alabama On Juneteenth

Juneteenth is quickly approaching and Tuscaloosa will once again be home to a major Juneteenth celebration.

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What Is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is widely known as "Black Independence Day."  The day celebrates the emancipation of slaves across the United States. On June 19, 1865, a Union General rode into Galveston, Texas to announce that the Civil War had ended, and slaves had been freed.

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by President Abraham Lincoln two years earlier did not instantly free enslaved people. History.com states that the proclamation only applied to places under Confederate control and not to slave-holding border states or rebel areas already under Union control.

According to CNN, The Senate unanimously passed a resolution on Tuesday establishing June 19 as Juneteenth National Independence Day, a US holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States.

Tuscaloosa Black Heritage Festival

The 2nd Annual Tuscaloosa Black Heritage Festival will take place on June 19th and will feature food, live music, activities for kids, vendors, spoken word and more.

The festival will take place at Snow Hinton Park beginning at Noon. Prior to the festival, there will be a Juneteenth parade starting at 10a.

Tuscaloosa resident and event creator Ra-El Sankofa says that this event "isn't just important it's necessary."

"Not just for our people to know the importance of Juneteenth, but other races of people as well. It plays a major part in history.

Vendors are welcome at the festival and the parade is open for entries form community organizations. For vendor and parade inquiries, you can contact Ra-El at 205-872-2201.