OKMULGEE, Okla. — Downtown Okmulgee held an early celebration for Juneteenth Thursday.
It’s the first since the city recognized Juneteenth as an official holiday. The holiday recognizes when enslaved Africans and parts of the South first learned of their freedom as ordered by the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863. For some communities, it took nearly two years for the news of freedom to reach them.
FOX23 talked with the chairman of Okmulgee’s Juneteenth committee about the importance of celebrating the holiday.
“June 19th is not just a black thing, June 19th is a united thing. It represents freedom. So we are trying to make our community understand it’s about freedom.” says Marcus Jeffery, Chairman of the Juneteenth Committee.
There was a parade, multiple vendors and a food truck. Organizers plan for next year’s celebration to be even bigger.
Check out was real simple, can't wait for the tote bag