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COLUMBIA — Many Americans are celebrating Juneteenth this month. The federal holiday marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in the United States learned they were free. Thousands of people came to Columbia on Saturday for this year’s Juneteenth events.

The celebration began with a parade on Broadway. Columbia’s Juneteenth Parade was just one of several events throughout the month of June celebrating freedom for African Americans. On June 19, 1865, in Galveston, Texas, union soldiers informed the country’s last remaining enslaved people that under the Emancipation Proclamation issued two years earlier, they were free. Those at parade said Columbia’s Juneteenth events taught important history lessons to children.

Columbia Resident John Reid said, “The kids get to enjoy it. They’re having a good time. They are learning the meaning.”

Columbia Resident Alison Cohen said, “I’m so happy about the Juneteenth parade. My dad is in it, Floyd Turner. I’m here supporting him and St. Luke’s Church. I’m excited. I think it’s something to be celebrated, especially for the African American community.”

After the parade, a Juneteenth Community Celebration was held on Fifth Street. A “Break the Chains” event drew large crowds at Columbia’s Douglass Park. Shelter Gardens hosted this year’s Juneteenth Freedom Day.

Fourth Ward Councilman Nick Foster said, “A lot of this history has been lost or it’s been buried. It’s important that we lift it up and we think about it, and we learn from the history of our community and our nation.”

Columbia Mayor Barbara Buffaloe said, “It’s a holiday that we are helping celebrate in our community to really remember our past and grow into the future.”

Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and Nineteenth. The actual holiday is on Wednesday, June 19, but Americans had parades, street festivals, musical performances, and cookouts throughout the entire month.

Expect the post office, banks, and some government agencies to be closed on Wednesday in celebration of Juneteenth.