Events were held across the nation on Friday honoring Juneteenth, a day that commemorates the day word finally reached Texas that slavery had ended in the United States.<\/p>\n
People came together across the Sacramento region to celebrate the holiday. One of the largest events was in Sacramento’s William Land Park.<\/p>\n
“It’s just another part of history that everyone needs to be aware of,” Ursula Johnson said.<\/p>\n
Johnson was among the hundreds of people attending the 23rd annual Juneteenth festival in Sacramento’s Land Park, a two-day event that kicked off Friday night with a gospel concert.<\/p>\n
“It’s about recognizing freedom and freedom for all,” she said.<\/p>\n
Many participants say it’s important to remember the struggles that African Americans have overcome.<\/p>\n
“I was born in the ’50s and I remember Jim Crow laws and seeing those signs, ‘you have to come in a certain way because of the way you look,’ ” said George Smith, who also participated in the Land Park festivities.<\/p>\n
Juneteenth had previously been a holiday for federal and state government employees. But this year, for the first time, it’s now a holiday for Sacramento city workers, too.<\/p>\n
“We just want to be here today officially making this a special day on behalf of the City of Sacramento,” Mayor Kevin McCarty said.<\/p>\n
Johnson is among the 4,800 Sacramento city employees who now get a paid day off work.<\/p>\n
“I felt like it was due. It was well overdue,” she said. “It’s recognized in other places, and so I think it’s about time we recognize it in the city of Sacramento.”<\/p>\n
The Juneteenth festival in William Land Park continues Saturday morning with a parade at 9 a.m., followed by more live bands, performances and history presentations.<\/p>\n