The City of Jeanerette celebrated the Juneteenth holiday Saturday at King Joseph Recreation Center where a program was held to remember the importance of the day.

The event was put on thanks to A New Chapter Push and featured local speakers who gave their own takes on the importance of the Juneteenth holiday, which only recently became a state holiday.

Those participating include the Rev. Wilfred Johnson, president of the Jeanerette Chamber of Commerce, who gave a call to order and welcome for the event followed by Apostle Felton Kohan who gave a Scripture reading.

After the Black national anthem was played, emcee Terri Thompson and Dr. Carrol Crofton both gave welcomes to the crowd for the Juneteenth address.

Jeanerette Mayor Carol Bourgeois Jr. also spoke for the event to give a few thoughts about the holiday.

“Two years after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into law, word finally got to Texas,” Bourgeois said. “We all know it shouldn’t take two years from Washington D.C. to Texas.

“Today is a reminder that we’re all in this together, and even though America is what it is, it’s still the greatest country in the world,” he added. “We still have liberties and freedoms and rights.”

Thompson also gave additional thoughts on the holiday as well, citing Malcolm X and John Lewis.

“We all live in the same house,” Thompson said. “That’s why Juneteenth is important for our country. We have to continue the legacy.”

The event included a dance from Brittany Washington as well as the Rev. Eric Fondal from St. Mark Baptist Church who served as the keynote speaker.

Juneteenth, or the Juneteenth National Independence Day, is a holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans.

Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1866. The day was recognized as a federal holiday last week when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.