Many Black Coloradans say they didn’t celebrate Juneteenth until they moved to Colorado

Juneteenth Music Festival. Photo: Juneteenth Music Festival

What to the slave is the Fourth of July?

Frederick Douglass first asked this question that many Black Americans continue to ponder.

Juneteenth is a play on the date of June 19, 1865. This date marks the day when Black Union troops made their way to Galveston, Texas, and announced that all enslaved African Americans were free.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, news of freedom slowly made its way to Texas and most western rebelling states.

On this episode of Black Talk host, Michele Simpson talks with eight Black Coloradans about their Juneteenth stories. We hear where her guests first learned about Juneteenth and how they have celebrated what some refer to as Freedom Day and plan to commemorate it in 2024.

 

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    06_13_2024JuneteenthI Alexis Kenyon

The 8 Storytellers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This story was produced by Alexis Kenyon for Black Talk

 

Picture of Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon

Alexis Kenyon is an experienced radio reporter with more than 15 years of experience creating compelling, sound-rich radio stories for news outlets across the country.

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