Topeka Family and Friends Juneteenth Celebration, Inc. commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S.

TOPEKA, Kan. (WIBW) – Topeka Family & Friends Juneteenth Celebration, Inc. kicked off the month with their annual Juneteenth flag raising and unity walk at the Kansas State Capitol.

Juneteenth was established as a federal holiday in 2021, but the organization has been observing the day for 12 years now. The event remembers those who persevered and celebrates freedom.

“We were doing this way before Juneteenth was a national holiday, so it was part of solidarity and moving towards a national holiday, but also the remembrance of our ancestors and the people who suffered before the emancipation,” Sherri Camp, historian.

Each year, the organization joins other states in raising the flag and walking in unity.

“It’s very important for each of us to try to be unified with everyone, to love everybody. and you can’t do that if you’re going to be divided,” said Carolyn Campbell, former Kansas State Board member and the first African American on the board. “We’ve got to be unified to work together.”

History is at the event’s forefront, with readings of the Emancipation Proclamation, a declaration issued by former President Abraham Lincoln in 1863. General Order No. 3 was also read during the event. The order was issued by Union General Gordon Granger in Galveston, Texas, in 1865.

“We hear the word Constitution, the rights that are given to them as part of the Constitution. These are things that everybody needs to know, that not only did the Constitution cover Americans before people were freed from slavery, but even after,” Camp said.

“Knowing so many of our young people, since our history is very negative in our schools, they don’t know,” Campbell said. “They have no clue how it would of been for them in that day in time, so it’s very important to us whenever we can share the information of our history.”

The organization also encourages all to take a moment to celebrate freedom.

“Not only are we proud to be Americans, we’re proud to be free Americans,” Camp said. “Even though we came here under duress, under circumstances that are not favorable, we helped build this country. we all are the fabric of America. Period.”

During the event, Campbell gave the keynote address discussing the importance of the day.

This event was a part of a month-long celebration of Juneteenth. The following is a list of Topeka Family and Friends Juneteenth Celebration’s upcoming events: