Juneteenth celebration held in Roberto Clemente Park

Reporter: Breana Ross Writer: Drew Hill
Published: Updated:
Juneteenth celebration

People gathered in Roberto Clemente Park Saturday to push for social justice reform. All of the signs and chants were a part of a Juneteenth Celebration in Fort Myers.

The day’s festivities included free tours through the black history museum in Clemente Park, a town hall and a vigil that will be held Saturday night.

Organizers say they’ve done their best to make it a celebration about the progress that Black people have made, not just about the protests that are currently going on.

“Yes we are technically free, but as far as from the system, as far as from things going on, everything that’s going on in the world, all the constant hashtags, we just, overall, need awareness and to kind of promote our culture for the better,” said Malik Hines, one of the organizers.

Juneteenth began as a way to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States. June 19 is the day the slaves in Texas were freed, which was two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

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