LAFAYETTE, La. — While Juneteenth has been celebrated for more than 150 years, organizers of a Lafayette community event say many people are only recently learning about the holiday’s history.
Kinchen Funeral Home hosted a Juneteenth Family Day celebration Friday, bringing together community members for performances, cultural activities and discussions about the significance of the holiday.
Eric Singleton, manager of Kinchen Funeral Home, said the event was designed to remind people that Juneteenth is not a new observance, but a longstanding tradition that dates back to the 1800s.
“The tradition has continued from the 1800s well into the 2000s,” Singleton said. “I wanted to highlight that and make people understand that this is not ‘new,’ if you will. It is a celebration as it began and it continues even today.”
The event featured traditional songs, poetry and other cultural expressions aimed at honoring Black history and preserving the story of Juneteenth for future generations.
Performer and attendee Sydnei Prosper-Moten said Juneteenth serves as a reminder not only of the end of slavery, but also of the delay many enslaved people experienced before learning they had been freed.
“The truth coming to light, and it taking way too long for that to happen, is part of this as well,” Prosper-Moten said.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas, and informed enslaved people of their freedom — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was issued.
Prosper-Moten said understanding the full history behind the holiday is important.
“I heard a quote one time that was like, ‘If history always makes you proud and happy, then you’re learning propaganda, not history,'” Prosper-Moten said. “So I think learning about the messy nuance is very important.”
She added that preserving culture also means passing traditions from one generation to the next.
“My kids are going to help me make traditional Juneteenth food and traditional Creole food today because I want them to try it, but I also want them to learn how to cook it so they can teach their kids,” she said.
Singleton said sharing stories of resilience, achievement and contribution is an important responsibility for the community.
“It’s important that we make young people understand that no matter what your circumstances are, you can rise above them,” Singleton said. “You can become anybody you want to become, you can do anything you wanna do.”
Organizers said events like the Juneteenth Family Day celebration are about more than marking a holiday. They hope the gathering helps ensure the history and lessons of Juneteenth continue to be remembered and passed on to future generations.
