MIRAMAR, FLA. (WSVN) - From ceremonies to parades, South Florida joined the rest of the country in commemorating the official end of slavery after the Civil War in the United States.
Hundreds of people gathered at City Place Plaza in Miramar to attend Juneteenth Family Day, just one of many events held around South Florida.
Juneteenth is the newest federal holiday. It was signed into law by former President Joe Biden in 2021.
Union soldiers brought the news of freedom to enslaved Black people in Galveston, Texas on June 19, 1865.
The City of Miramar paid homage to the federal holiday by hosting a family-friendly event.
“It’s to show the experience and the struggles that we have gone through, but to acknowledge that there is a path moving forward together,” said Miramar Vice Mayor Yvette Colbourne.
“We remember our culture, we remember our history. We don’t lose that, ’cause that’s part of humanity,” said Florida State Sen. Barbara Sharief.
The event in Miramar had educational performances, workshops and activities for kids.
Attendee Maurice Manning told 7News it was this type of activities that prompted him to bring his sons to their first Juneteenth celebration.
“It’s a day that I’m trying to teach them about, like, a part of their heritage, because they happen to be half African American and Iranian,” said Maurice.
In Hollywood, Juneteenth South Broward held their ninth annual parade for the community at the Washington Park Community Center.
Veterans led the parade as the community came together. Organizers said it is a tribute that’s been growing every year.
“It’s a celebration of our culture, so I really love the fact that we are doing this and out here for the community. Yeah, it’s positive for the community,” said Kristy Roberts, a community member.
U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz, D-Fla., was also on the parade route. She highlighted the significance of the holiday.
“To celebrate emancipation, to celebrate freedom and equality, and to make sure that we can focus America’s attention on that,” she said. “The journey is still ongoing. We’ve come incresibly far; we can’t go back.”
In Miami, at the Historic Hampton House, education is an essential part of the holiday. It stands as one of the last remaining Green Book sites, which were safe houses for Black American travelers during segregation.
The historical site will host an event Thursday night focused on the creative and cultural impact of Black architects who helped shape South Florida’s urban landscape. During the day, they offered free tours and a luncheon.
“This is the place that all the greats — like Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Muhammad Ali — this is the place they came to because this is the place that treated them with respect and dignity during that time,” said Gabriela Sevrin, brand manager and historian for the Historic Hampton House.
The location hosted leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcom X. It was known as the social center of the South.
Several other celebrations across South Florida will be held in the evening, including on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach and a mural reveal in Wynwood.
You can find more information on these events here.
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