Juneteenth remembered with events in Montgomery

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WAKA) – You have several ways to celebrate the Juneteenth federal holiday in Montgomery.

The holiday remembers June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, with news that the Civil War was over and that all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free. That date is considered the official end of slavery in the U.S.

EQUAL JUSTICE INITIATIVE

All four of the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy sites in Montgomery are offering free admission. They are open from 8:30AM to 6:30PM today.

The sites are: The Legacy Museum, National Memorial for Peace and Justice, Freedom Monument Sculpture Park and Montgomery Square.

ROSA PARKS MUSEUM

Troy University’s Rosa Parks Museum will host its 11th annual Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 20, from 11AM to 4PM. The free event will take place on Montgomery Street in front of the Museum and include free admission to the museum and the Cleveland Avenue Time Machine, merchandise and service vendors, food trucks, a kids’ play area, live entertainment and giveaways throughout the day.

Live entertainment for the day will feature Comedienne Joy as the emcee, DJ at Large, local talent throughout the day and a performance by the Tuscaloosa-based band Brother 2 Brother at 1PM.

In addition to the outdoor entertainment, a special program, “We’re Making It Personal,” commemorating Juneteenth and the Browder v. Gayle case, the landmark 1956 federal court case that ruled segregation on public transportation was unconstitutional, will take place at noon in the museum’s auditorium. The case was heard before a three-judge panel of the United States District Court and in June of 1956, the District Court ruled that bus segregation was unconstitutional. The City of Montgomery and the State of Alabama appealed the case to the U.S. Supreme Court, who affirmed the District Court’s ruling in November of that year.