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PEEKSKILL,NY - This past weekend's first ever Juneteenth Celebration in Peekskill drew hundreds of spectators to the downtown area to see the wide variety of parade participants from across the area. Juneteenth is the oldest continuously celebrated African American Holiday commemorating the emancipation from slavery and commemorates the day, June 19, 1865, when slaves in Texas found out that they had learned they had been freed.
This year is the 150th anniversary of the start of the American Civil War, which resulted in the abolition of slavery in April of 1865 with the ratification of the 13th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Juneteenth is an official holiday in 36 states, including New York. Congress has officially proclaimed June 19 as Juneteenth Independence Day. The Saturday celebration promininently featured two of Peekskill's most well-known natives. Richard Jackson, the first African-American mayor of Peekskill and New York State, served as the parades grand marshal and the the master of ceremonies was WPIX reporter, Jennifer Jordan. By popular demand, check out additional photos from Saturday's event. What did you think about this year's Juneteenth Celebration? Our first collection of photos can be found here: www.thedailypeekskill.com/neighbors/peekskill-juneteenth-celebration-huge-success
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