A festive parade took to the streets this morning as families and friends gathered on Hayden St. to celebrate the coming holiday... Juneteenth. Juneteenth is celebrated as the day that slaves were freed back in 1865.
Texas was the last to actually free their slaves so it's a special day for us and the community comes out and we kind of celebrate June 19th, which will actually be tomorrow", says Juneteenth Parade Coordinator Thomas Jones.
The parade ended with even more festivities at Bones Hook Park. Bounce houses, free barbeque and upbeat music were all there to help set the mood for this fun day but Mal and Edith Carr, two Juneteeth celebrators, say it's the significance of tomorrow's historic events that makes the day special.
"It was a coming together and the day represents that same thing. That we not only as African Americans but we as a people as whole can come together and stand for what this country means that everyone is free" said Mal Carr.
Neither color nor culture made a difference today -- something that can only be achieved by understanding and remembering days like Juneteenth.
"Once you begin to understand different cultures and the struggles of different cultures and you find in those struggles that people will come out and support what had been a struggle in the past", adds Jones.
Although Texas received the freeing news more than 140 years ago, the true spirit of that day is still alive in well in the residents of Amarillo.
"It just helps us to know that we can wrap our arms around each other and we're just kind if like one big happy family this weekend", continues Edith Carr.
