CHRISTIANSBURG – On June 19, 1865, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, slaves in Texas were finally freed by Union soldiers under executive order.
Rosa Peters Park (30 Depot Street) in Christiansburg, its pool, pavilion and playgrounds host community gatherings. Here, members of Christiansburg’s Asbury United Methodist Church last summer talk about community and neighborliness.
Since that time, Juneteenth has been celebrated as a traditional African-American commemoration of freedom from slavery. The Montgomery County-Radford City-Floyd County branch of the NAACP will celebrate Juneteenth on Saturday, June 15 from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m., at the Rosa Peters Playground, 300 Depot St. NE in Christiansburg.
There will be music by Dynamic Sounds. Food will be available to purchase: a Fish Fry by the New River Valley Progressive Men’s Club, and the NAACP Youth Council will sell hot dogs, drinks and other snacks. Proceeds to be used for local youth activities and scholarships. Activities will include swimming, children’s games, cake walk, raffles and an informative program on Juneteenth. Various talents will be shared by community members. NAACP and other community organizations will have booths and provide valuable information. Entry is free. Come one, come all!
A description of Juneteenth on juneteenth.com reads the following:
“Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19ththat the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863. The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive Order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger’s regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.”
