LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – Juneteenth is less than a week away, and East Texans are celebrating.
Juneteenth became a national holiday nearly four years ago, but Saturday’s parade marks 40 years for the City of Longview.
“Any kind of color, it don’t matter. You know black, white, Hispanics, it don’t matter. We just love to celebrate, bring our people together, and, you know, just have fun. This is what it’s about,” exclaimed Marchello Miller, a man from Longview with his family.
“This year, they brought it all the back with a home run,” continued Miller, “but we hope every year we can keep doing this right here.”
Almost 160 years ago, Union soldiers arrived in Galveston. The Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, but African Americans in Galveston didn’t learn they were free until more than two years later.
“I’ve been celebrating Juneteenth ever since I could remember. Even though it was 160 years ago, we never forgot. We never forgot about it,” said Mandel Stoker, a Longview citizen working for Longview Independent School District.
“The legacy that brought all this together, you know what I’m saying. It means a lot, you know, for us all to still stand and join together,” said Miller.
The festival at Broughton Park doesn’t mark the end of Longview celebrations. There’s music performances, a talent show, and a men’s softball tournament planned for next weekend.
“For the community to come together and be able to celebrate peacefully and just enjoy each other’s company is wonderful,” said Kimberly Adams, Finance Manager for the City of Longview.
“The things that happened then won’t happen today. So, we’re always moving forward. Longview, the world, always moving forward,” said Stoker.
On June 19th, Longview will celebrate Juneteenth at Teague Park from noon to 8 p.m.
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