Pittsburg celebrates Juneteenth

On June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued in 1863, Union General Gordon Granger made the announcement in the city of Galveston, Texas that slavery had ended in the state of Texas. The news of freedom soon spread throughout the state and ever since, June 19 has been celebrated as a celebration of freedom for the African-American community. Juneteenth was formally declared a holiday in Texas in 1979, and recently became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, marking this year’s celebration as the first to be celebrated as a national federal holiday.

Pittsburg residents celebrated Juneteenth last weekend by holding a march and a small rally. The march started on West Street towards Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue then headed south, ending at Pilgrim Plaza. The rally consisted of singing and public speaking. Speakers included pastor Patrick Lloyd of the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church, Reverend Michael King of the St. Paul AME Church and Jackie Ducts, a youth prevention specialist working for the state of Texas.

Pastor Lloyd of the Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church urged listeners to reflect on the celebration during a Facebook live video. “It’s very important to know why we celebrate this day and why this day is important. This is American history, not just black history.” Ducts impressed on listeners the importance of community. He says that, “We gotta work together as a community. If we don’t work together as a community, our youth is going to be in danger.” Reverend King finished off the rally with a speech over the need for the community to vote to solve problems and ended with a word of prayer.