ST. LOUIS – All across the St. Louis region, people were out and about celebrating and observing Juneteenth.
“This is a lot of Black-owned businesses, like I said, and the day that people got freed. I think all races and ethnicities can come out here,” said Jai Lavaughn, an organizer for Black Woodstock Festival.
Businesses and vendors were at the third annual event in East St. Louis; for some, it was the first time.
“I tried to make sure, cause I knew I needed to come, cause last year it was such a big event,” said Toyreale Williams, owner of Fat Chick Treats. She said the event is a way to learn about the history of Juneteenth and connect with one another.
“Everybody is from different places, you know. Like everybody is not from East St. Louis, and it’s people that I met, and now we’re fixing to do partnerships together. So, it’s just a beautiful way for all of us to connect,” Williams said.
Across the river in downtown St. Louis, hundreds of people attended the NAACP’s 86th annual Freedom Fund Dinner.
“We’re celebrating triumphs, slavery, freedom, and the bright future that we can make going forward. Today, our theme is thriving forward. And we must thrive forward together as a people, and one thing we all have in common is being human beings,” said John Bowman, president of NAACP St. Louis County.
Bowman said the significance of Juneteenth can be celebrated anywhere.
“Even if you’re having a celebration in your backyard, you know as long as families come together with our culture, to make sure that we inform generation after generation the importance of knowing who you are in order to make sure you can keep going forward,” he said.