GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — On Saturday, the Green Bay Area community was invited to celebrate Juneteenth.
It’s a day to commemorate June 19, 1865, when the Union Army brought word to Galveston, Texas that slavery had been outlawed. Then-president Abraham Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation two years earlier.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law. As this is now a federal holiday, federal employees had Friday, June 18 off to recognize it.
“I’m proud as the county executive to actually proclaim Juneteenth Day, similar to the City of Green Bay,” said Troy Streckenbach Brown County Executive.
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In Downtown Green Bay, a Juneteenth Parade hosted by the African American Community Parent Network (AACPN) took place Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to noon.
The parade and festivities meant to be celebration that includes every race in the community who wants to be a part of this momentous event.
After the parade ended, there was a free festival from 12 to 5 p.m. at Murphy Park. Rain or shine, they expected to have family activities and 70’s soul & Motown music.
This is the first Juneteenth parade and festival hosted by AACPN.
The event has also been sponsored by the City of Green Bay, Green Bay Police Department, Green Bay Fire Department, and Green Bay Packers.
Sharon Harper was one of the main organizers of this event.
After her efforts to get an event started last year were shut down due to COVID-19, she says she couldn’t be more happier to finally have this one come together.
“It means a lot, it shows that this city of Green Bay actually cares about Black people. They have the flag hanging at the courthouse. You know Black and white, Republican, Democrat,” Harper said.
For one local pastor who many call an “icon” in the area African American community, he says over the last 26 years he’s lived in Green Bay he's seen a lot of change.
“I used to say all the time that when I first came here it was 00.1 black people here but now we moving up,” said Lesly Green.
Below are some local vendors that participated in the event:
