OCALA, FL (352today.com) – The origins of Juneteenth date back to December 31, 1862, when enslaved and free African Americans gathered around churches and homes, desperately awaiting the news that the Emancipation Proclamation was to take effect.

Their prayers for freedom were answered when, on midnight of the new year, enslaved people in the Confederate States were declared legally free. The word was spread through union soldiers, who marched onto the plantations across the South to spread the news of freedom in the Confederate States.

Although the Emancipation Proclamation freed a bevy of those enslaved, it didn’t free them all. The proclamation was not allowed in places that were still considered under Confederate control.

Therefore, slaves in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas had to wait another two years before their freedom was ensured.

Two years later, on June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, TX, to announce that more than 250,000 enslaved Black people in the state were considered free.

|THINGS TO DO IN THE 352: Stay in the know about the hottest local happenings with our Events section

The date is now referred to as Juneteenth, and it allowed formerly enslaved African Americans to start building lives of their own, reunite with families, establish schools, and even sue slaveholders for financial compensation.

Juneteenth was officially recognized as a federal holiday under the Biden Administration. It was the first national holiday instituted in the United States since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983.

Political figures across the nation have been showing their appreciation and respect for the holiday, including those in the 352.

The City of Ocala posted on its Facebook page, “Today, we honor Juneteenth, a day of reflection, resilience and celebration marking the end of slavery in the United States. Let us remember the significance of freedom, unity and the ongoing journey toward equality for all.”

Gainesville Mayor Harvey Ward echoed the sentiment: “Juneteenth — now a federal holiday — stands as a powerful reminder that freedom came slowly, unevenly, and only through persistence and struggle,” wrote Ward. In Gainesville, our celebration begins every year on May 20 with Florida Emancipation Day, and we spend a full month immersed in the history and culture of those who endured and triumphed. This weekend marks the conclusion of our annual Journey to Juneteenth celebration.”

Ward strives to bring everyone together for this monumental holiday.

“As your mayor, I join you in honoring the legacy of Juneteenth and the ongoing journey toward justice. Here in Gainesville and across the country, we must keep working to build a future shaped by truth and opportunity for all.”

Ward concluded his statement with a quote from civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer: “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.”

More news that matters to you…