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SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield’s annual Juneteenth celebrations are underway as the city hosted a Family Fun Day at Blunt Park on Saturday.
Juneteenth commemorates the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States in 1865, and while it has been observed since then it didn’t become a federally recognized holiday until 2021.
Saturday’s festival in Springfield was held to honor and celebrate that moment in history. 22News spoke to Kainé Compton of the Juneteenth Jubilee Committee about the significance of the holiday.
“When that happened on June 19th, and they were made aware that they were free from slavery, we come and we celebrate that. We want to commemorate that memory and honor all of those before us,” expressed Compton.
The Family Fun Day festival was the final event of the Juneteenth Jubilee following Friday’s flag raising and adult block party.
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