Community celebrates Juneteenth in Madera

MADERA, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Central Valley celebrated Juneteenth on Wednesday.

In the City of Madera, "Freedom" was the theme as they remembered how past struggle helped raise up African Americans.

"Juneteenth means Freedom," said Madera City Council member Anita Evans.

A fight for African American's independence culminating on June 19th 1865 is now celebrated across the nation.

"Juneteenth is a recognition, or the time that we recognize at all slaves, we're proclaimed free, we know that it's not the actual day they were free, that was given by the emancipation proclamation, but it took several years to reach Galveston, Texas," said Stephanie Nathan with the Madera NAACP.

The City of Madera honoring what Black ancestors worked so hard for in a celebration Wednesday morning.

They also took time to pay tribute to local Black veterans.

The city, Evans, and Black Saints United helped host the event to ensure the next generation knows and understands the importance behind the holiday.

"The children are our future, they stand on my shoulders, they stand on your shoulders. And we need for them to understand where they came from, for them to be able to stand and be proud of who they are," said Evans.

They also honored trailblazer Donald Holley.

He served as the first black city councilman in Madera.

Holley says while we have come a long way as a nation, we still need to "break every chain" in the future and have a long way to go.

"We can get there as a people, Martin Luther King said that we can get there as a people, we recognize that, we are going to still be struggling, and we shall overcome," said Holley.

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