MOUNT STERLING, Ky. (LEX 18) — Montgomery County concluded a three-day Juneteenth celebration on Sunday.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is the celebration of the end of slavery in the United States.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth a federal holiday, which gave communities across the nation even more reason to celebrate the day.
In Mount Sterling, the DuBois Community Center hosted events Friday, Saturday, and Sunday to commemorate the day.
Events included an Afrocentric art show, a community dust bowl, and an educational program and dinner.
“I think that the more we give out history, the more we make those connections in our small towns to people that we forgot,” said DuBois Community Center president Taunya Jones.
Jones said she believes Montgomery County benefited from three days' worth of celebrations focusing on Juneteenth.
“I think people are learning a little bit more and, even in the black community, they don't know that much about [Juneteenth]. So this is what we're hoping to inspire,” Jones said.
Jones said she is thrilled with the turnout they saw this weekend, and it’s encouraging as they continue their work to educate the community about African American history.
“We want to do African American history all year long. A lot of students will say, ‘It’s not February.’ Well, African American History is everyone’s history,” Jones said.
