Juneteenth

"We can all finally celebrate. The whole country together," says Opal Lee, 94, who has been working for years to make Juneteenth a federal holiday.

June 19 is a commemoration of the end of chattel slavery in the United States, marking the day enslaved people in Texas were finally freed — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

June 19, 1865, marked a huge turning point for Black people in America. But many slave owners refused to comply. And even celebrating the date was discouraged in the years to come.

With Juneteenth coming up, here are some local events you can participate in and celebrate.

While June 19 isn't recognized as a national holiday, it is a designated paid holiday for state employees in six states.

Coronavirus cases are surging in Florida, with more than 89,000 cases and 3,104 reported at the time of this story's publication.

Across the nation, African-Americans are celebrating Juneteenth – June 19 th - as the day the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Texas, making it the...