While Juneteenth is recognized as the national celebration of freedom, Florida marks its own liberation on May 20 from 9am to 4pm. It was on this day in 1865 that General McCook read the Emancipation Proclamation, officially freeing enslaved individuals across the state.
To honor this history, the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center’s Board of Directors is pleased to be the lead event for the City’s launching of “Journey to Juneteenth,” a month-long commemorative series for Gainesville now in its sixth year. The Museum has chosen this year’s theme, “Preserving the teachings of the past to empower the present and future!”
The festivities will commence with a heritage march from Depot Park to the Cotton Club Museum. Residents and neighborhoods are encouraged to gather at the park to join the procession, which will move toward the museum to the sounds of Freedom songs and Negro Spirituals.
Throughout the day, attendees can experience a variety of indoor and outdoor programs, including:
- Performances by local choirs, drummers, and dancers.
- Spoken word presentations and children’s activities.
- Local food vendors and community fellowship.
A central moment of the commemoration will be a flower-laying ceremony at a mock gravesite dedicated to the formerly enslaved men who served and died in the Union Army.