Juneteenth Celebration
On Saturday, June 15th, United Supermarkets sponsored Lubbock’s annual Juneteenth parade at Mackenzie Park. Hundreds of Lubbock locals gathered to celebrate African American Freedom. Our Lubbock U-Crew volunteers had the opportunity to walk in the parade and give candy to the spectators enjoying the celebration.
Juneteenth’s rich history dates back to January 1, 1863, when Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation came into effect, legally freeing all slaves. Union soldiers began spreading the news, but many of the slaves in Confederate states remained in the dark. It wasn’t until over two years later, on June 19, 1865, that this news would reach Galveston Bay, officially freeing the last of the slaves in Texas.
This day, now known as Juneteenth, has been celebrated by African American communities for centuries but wasn’t made an official holiday until January 1, 1980. Al Edwards, a freshman state representative, proposed the bill to recognize June 19 as a Texas holiday. This made Texas the first state to recognize Juneteenth officially. The next state to do this wasn’t until 1991 when Florida passed the bill. Juneteenth still wasn’t recognized as a national holiday until June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the bill putting this federal holiday into place.
Today, this special day is celebrated with city-wide parades and festivals with great food, local activities, and even better, community. The United Family is so honored that we had a hand in this year’s Lubbock Juneteenth celebration!
