MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – The members of the Mobile District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers gathered today for their Juneteenth Freedom Festival.
Not only were people there to celebrate African Americans’ independence, but also to remember the 92nd Infantry Division of World War II, known as the Buffalo Soldiers.
Eddie Irby Jr., the president and founder of the Buffalo Soldiers 92nd Infantry Division, served as the keynote speaker at today’s event. He noted that while June 19 has always been a historical day in remembrance of the last enslaved African Americans becoming free, many people are still learning about this important day.
“I never had Juneteenth in my high school years, nothing like that. Even after I grew up and left Alabama and went to California, it was wide open out there. So now I come back and I see all this celebration. I’m in a learning stage now,” Irby said.
The Mobile City Arts Council also partnered with today’s freedom festival, and several pieces of artwork created by local black artists were displayed throughout the room.
Copyright 2024 WALA. All rights reserved.
Check out was real simple, can't wait for the tote bag