More than 1,000 people gathered at the Harvey B. Gantt Center Wednesday afternoon to celebrate the Juneteenth holiday. Some people came to the African American arts and cultural center uptown just to enjoy the music and energy.
But Jamea Marlowe, founder of the Broken Crayon arts studio, wanted to make sure families had a chance to learn about the holiday. It marks the day in 1865 when the last enslaved people in Texas learned they had been freed. She set up a room where children could create their own versions of the Juneteenth flag.
“Every symbol on it has its own meaning, and I feel like it’s something that people need to know,” said Marlowe.
Some parents, like Todd Davis, said they want their children to know more about a celebration of freedom that was little known in their childhood. Davis brought his two daughters.
“I did not know about the flag until right now. Henceforth that’s why we’re here, to celebrate and learn and really just immerse ourselves in it,” said Davis.
Adreonna Bennett says it’s a great chance for Black America to share its history and culture.
“It’s an important day to celebrate freedom for African Americans, but it’s really a holiday for everybody as well,” said Bennett.
Jasmine Poon, 10, whose parents are Indonesian and Chinese, came to her first Juneteenth event. She says she learned that celebrations include a lot of music — and that the star on the flag is the Lone Star of Texas.
The observation of Juneteenth has its roots in Texas and became a federal holiday in 2021.
