Juneteenth
Discovering Our Roots
Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated every year on June 19th in the United States, commemorating the end of slavery.
How can I celebrate in Pensacola?
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. Many local businesses and organizations are hosting Juneteenth events to commemorate the holiday.
The National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom accepted Fort Pickens, managed by Gulf Islands National Seashore, as one of over 650 sites, programs, and facilities within the Network. It joins 12 new listings from the 40th round of Network to Freedom applications, representing sites and programs in eight states across the United States. New listings were accepted in the final days of September, which represented International Underground Railroad Month in 11 states.
Fort Pickens, located on Pensacola Bay in northwest Florida, became a destination for freedom seekers starting in 1861. Eight enslaved people sought their freedom at the fort one month before the start of the Civil War. The commanding Union officer, however, sent them back to slavery. As a Union base throughout the war, untold numbers of freedom seekers chose to make their way to Fort Pickens later in 1861 and in 1862. In 1864, elements of the 25th U.S. Colored Troops marched into the fort. From Fort Pickens, these Black soldiers fought to defend the Union and destroy slavery.
![A Family Reunion for the Culture](https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/image5_2023-04-20-151006_wuca.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=240&q=80&w=320&s=20dab64f9b83d7228c5cbce9f6e47226 320w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/image5_2023-04-20-151006_wuca.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=405&q=80&w=540&s=6559ea637b53d4f523f50dbd183f0ba0 540w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/image5_2023-04-20-151006_wuca.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=576&q=80&w=768&s=a00893923314a303f6a38df4bdb2c9f1 768w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/image5_2023-04-20-151006_wuca.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=768&q=80&w=1024&s=5858d3770191a220a62069ccd418c368 1024w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/image5_2023-04-20-151006_wuca.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=900&q=80&w=1200&s=60eec4247196eb18fbaf1459e07733cd 1200w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/image5_2023-04-20-151006_wuca.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1080&q=80&w=1440&s=0ea0053cad1cff464de3ff25d40d6d9e 1440w, https://pensacola.imgix.net/images/image5_2023-04-20-151006_wuca.jpeg?auto=compress%2Cformat&crop=focalpoint&fit=min&fp-x=0.5&fp-y=0.5&h=1440&q=80&w=1920&s=7ab93561ff533fcf752356105d7310d3 1820w)
A Family Reunion for the Culture
Save the date for our 3rd Annual Juneteenth: A Family Reunion for the Culture Festival! It will be a fun filled day with special performances, food trucks, vendors, traditional card games, large kids zone, arts, crafts, African clothing, face painting, and much more! Don’t miss out!
How is Juneteenth traditionally celebrated?
The very first Juneteenth took place in 1866, a year after the slaves were finally freed. It was known as Jubilee Day, and as its name suggests, there was plenty of jubilation to be found. A typical Juneteenth celebration consisted of barbecues and music, and plenty of prayer and worship among freed Blacks who gathered to mark the occasion.
As Black people traveled throughout America, they took the tradition of the celebration with them. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated across the country with cookouts, neighborhood get-togethers, fairs, parades, and more.
Support Local Black Owned Businesses
East King’s Corner Cafe- NEW LOCATION
1216 North 9th Ave. Pensacola, FL 32501 (850) 332-5511