Juneteenth: A Long Time to Freedom
June 19, 1865: Union troops land at Galveston, Texas, to announce the end of the Civil War and the end of slavery. Two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation is put into effect on January 1, 1863, those still held in slavery begin their search for the meaning of freedom. Celebrations gradually gain momentum out of Texas and spread around the country —to become recognized by those of African descent as Juneteenth Independence Day.
Dr. Althea Sumpter is a researcher and scholar who uses her expertise as an ethnographer to document cultures and preserve the Southern story of the United States. With her native Gullah Geechee culture as a prototype collecting the oral histories of elders, she teaches ways to research the cultural history within a community, then how to use documentation technology to memorialize and preserve the stories of a community for future generations. She presents talks and workshops on documenting cultural history for others wanting to preserve stories in their own community or the cultural story of a family. Her research and work can be viewed at altheasumpter.com.
- Facilitator: Robert Stewart
- Musician: Dr. Jean Heinrich
Juneteenth Atlanta Events
Juneteenth Atlanta Parade & Music Festival: June 14-16, 2019
Juneteenth Celebration at Atlanta History Center: June 15-16, 2019