TULSA, Okla. — The Tulsa Juneteenth Festival continues downtown in the Greenwood District through the weekend.
June 19, 1865 marks the day Union troops arrived in Texas with news that the Civil War was over and all remaining enslaved people in Texas were free.
Communities across Texas began celebrating Juneteenth in 1866. There were parades, musical performances, cookouts, prayer gatherings, and so much more. The celebrations have spread throughout the U.S. since then.
Congress passed The Juneteenth National Independence Day Act in June 2021, a day after the Senate passed the bill with unanimous consent. Biden signed the bill into law on June 17 — two days before Juneteenth.
Tulsa Juneteenth and the Black Wall Street Chamber of Commerce are putting on this year's celebrations and it's happening in the historic Greenwood District.
The event is free to the public so Tulsans can come together as a community to commemorate the end of slavery in the U.S. Tulsa's festival also honors the legacy of Black Wall Street and the 1921 Race Massacre.
Organizers of the event say it's important to remember what took place at Black Wall Street and pay homage to those who lost their lives.
The Tulsa Juneteenth Festival will showcase dozens of Black-owned businesses, food trucks, and a kids zone.
For more information about Juneteenth or to know this weekend's lineup of events, click here.
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