Buffalo Community Gathers For Prayer In The Park Ahead of Juneteenth 50th Anniversary

As we inch closer to Juneteenth in America, community groups all over the nation are getting ready to celebrate freedom and the American dream for the people who originally did not have the option to do that. As Juneteenth celebrates the day when the last people who were enslaved in Texas found out that the Emancipation Proclamation was issued, the continued remembrance of that day is important.

For many people who survived American slavery and their descendants, the practice of religion is very important.

To help kick off the festivities for Buffalo's 50th Annual Juneteenth Festival, members of the community gathered at Buffalo's Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Park in Buffalo for a spiritual gathering for the purpose of showing gratitude, along with promoting healing and collective hope for the future.

READ MORE: Photos From Pan African Flag Raised Over Downtown Buffalo For Juneteenth

In addition to live music and gospel singing, the annual celebrations saw the Malik and Malika crowned.

What Is Juneteenth?

Juneteenth is a word combination, or portmanteau, of the words June and nineteenth. June 19th is the day that it is typically celebrated, and that date has historical significance.

Juneteenth was the oldest known observance of the ending of slavery in the United States. According to historical records, the celebration began on June 19, 1865, the day Major General Gordon Granger of the Union Army rode into Galveston, Texas in final execution of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Issued by President Abraham Lincoln on September 22, 1862, the Emancipation Proclamation stated, among other things, That on the 1st day of January, A.D., 1863, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State the people whereof shall they be in rebellion against the United States shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free...
-History of Juneteenth, Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo, Inc.

Since it took more than two years for the news of freedom to reach the depths of Texas, Black Americans have honored June 19th as the day the American promise became available to all.

The Community Enjoyed Prayer In The Park

As the singers sang and the bands played, the prayers went up, and people all over the park rejoiced. If you missed it, you can check some photos below.

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