TYLER, Texas — The Juneteenth Association of Tyler kicked off their Juneteenth Parade in Tyler Saturday, and the city showed up and showed out big.
Juneteenth is a day of celebration and rejoicing in the freedom from slavery. On June 19, 1865 the enslaved people of African descent in Galveston were given the news that they were free, six months after the Emancipation Proclamation was put into effect.
When asked about what Juneteenth means to the people of Tyler, Willie Bailey, a resident of Tyler celebrating Juneteenth, said that the day represents freedom and how far society has come.
"It's just good to see our people come together, even in this heat," Bailey said. "Seeing us come together as people, cause a lot of people, my particular people, they don’t think we can come together and unify."
The event saw hundreds of people and several organizations come out to celebrate what many call the nation's second Independence Day.
Juneteenth is officially observed on June 19, but several organizations had their celebrations early over the weekend. A list of Juneteenth events happening in East Texas can be found here.