COLUMBIA, S.C. — Hundreds lined Segra Park Saturday to celebrate and remember the history behind Juneteenth.
Organizer Jamal Bradley said close to a hundred vendors signed up to serve the community - but more importantly, educate people about the holiday.
"I had no idea like a lot of people what Juneteenth was until my wife told me and then I did the research on it and said, 'Wow, we have a holiday?' and then I learned it had been being celebrated for more than 170 years."
Doctor Burnett Gallman, a historian and author explained that Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, when slaves in Texas were informed of the Emancipation Proclamation, which ended slavery in the Confederate states. He said it wasn't until two years after that proclamation was signed that it became fully enforced in the state.
"African people in Texas celebrated it and called it Juneteenth," he said. "As Texans moved various places, it's been celebrated all over the country."
And in 2021 Juneteenth officially became a national holiday. Now, the holiday serves two roles: as a time to remember a terrible period in United States history, but also an opportunity to celebrate progress.
On Saturday hundreds gathered around Segra Park with music, entertainment, and food all afternoon.
For Kyndall Tucker, an owner of The Factory 10 and vendor at the Juneteenth event, it's an opportunity to build community and support each other.
"I think it's amazing and, just being around the culture, for young Black people or older, it doesn't matter," Tucker said.
Tonia Dunbar agreed, saying it's a networking opportunity, as well.
"And also being a small Black-owned business, it's important to be in this environment to not only get support but also support all our other fellow small Black-owned businesses," Dunbar said.
Gallman said it's important, if not crucial, to preserve history through events like the Juneteenth Festival.
"I think it's very, very important that we maintain our knowledge of the past so that we don't repeat the worst of it," Gallman said.