Juneteenth events cheering freedom celebrated across Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The holiday celebrates the day more than 250,000 slaves in Texas received word they were free from slavery.

The history of what was.

The present of what is.

And, the future of what will be can all be discussed learning what Juneteenth means to people.

From South Memphis to the Medical District people gathered to enjoy food, music, and several different African cultures.

Dr. Augustine Tawiah is a member of parliament in Ghana.

“And that is why we are celebrating the present. Reflecting on the past and forging for a future. And so the future is we have all been brought together by the slave trade, but we have also seen the solutions we are seeing. We are not going to be prisoners of the past,” Tawiah said.

He’s also a graduate of the University of Memphis.

He says many African countries and tribes still feel the impacts of slavery in America.

“It is extremely important to be part of this program because for me, living in Africa, I have seen the impact of the slave trade on Africa, on the people in the United States. So when we put all of this behind us, then we have to forge ahead for something new,” Tawiah said.

Tawiah says while the festivities are always a plus, the real excitement comes with people understanding the history.

He says with understanding the history of Juneteenth and what’s behind comes opportunities of new doors being opened.

“I met wonderful people. And last year, a group of us in the Ghanaian government came here, met the mayor of Memphis. We are excited about possibilities of really building a network business, education, international connections so that Ghana and Memphis can actually work together, put in behind some of our histories,” Tawiah said.