MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Juneteenth Festivities continued across the Bluff City Sunday.
Well-known performers like Erykah Badu and Memphis’ own Juicy J were in Orange Mound for the 3rd Annual TONE Juneteenth Festival.
Although it was hot outside, people still poured into Orange Mound Towers to celebrate and honor Juneteenth.
From the music to the dozens of vendors and food trucks, there was plenty for people of any age to enjoy.
“It is a very beautiful thing to see all of us here promoting each other and supporting each other. About something positive for once,” said one festival goer.
The official holiday is June 19, it’s the day enslaved African Americans in Texas learned they were free from slavery in 1865 three years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed.
Licensed therapist, Pameteria Brown, was one of the resources available to festival goers wanting to know more about mental health. She said it is special to celebrate historic events in a historic community like Orange Mound.
Orange Mound was the first subdivision specifically for African Americans in the nation according to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
“So, shout out to TONE for having this event. Not even just having a community event, but having it in the community, right? Orange Mound is a staple, this is a true community,” said Brown.
She’s even joining in more by expanding resources for mental health in Memphis by launching an online directory for people to find therapists. The launch date is Juneteenth.
“A lot of times mental health seems real stiff and it’s boring,” she said. “Like I’m going to show up in my hot girl attire. I am going to meet you where you are because that is the type of therapist I am.”
There were more resources and vendors during the festival for people to take part in while the music flowed across Orange Mound Towers.
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