BUFFALO, N.Y. — ​While Juneteenth celebrations will again be virtual this year, new president of Juneteenth of Buffalo, Jennifer Earle-Jones, who took over in December of 2020, says that virtual or not, it’s important to understand the meaning of this holiday.

"It means that we have to remember the foundations of Juneteenth. The foundations were not pleasant,” she said. “The foundations were devastating times so for over 200 years on enslavement, we have to remember the basis of Juneteenth came out of that devastating era."

Parade Organizer Patrick Cray says there are positives to going virtual.

"Our theme for this year is the continual evolution of Juneteenth so with that being said, going virtual is really a part of the evolution because we bring all of those dynamics in,” he said. “Social media, similar platforms. Years ago, we were using social media to contact people but the main source we were using was snail mail. But social media has helped us." 

Along with virtual celebrations, there are so in-person thing you can do.

Enid Wright curated a temporary African Art exhibit at the Juneteenth of Buffalo Headquarters. Running through Sunday, the exhibit features African art, both modern and older, from paintings to sculptures and more. People will also find artifacts dating back more than 100 years.

"This one is from Ghana, this one is from South Africa,” Wright said. “Hopefully during the exhibit, if they are interested in getting an African piece and at the end of the day every day, we'll pull a name and they'll get a gift."

This holiday is a celebration, but organizers say it should also bring attention to the work that still needs to be done.

“There is a lot that Black people still have to get by,” Cray added. “These barriers are still set up, they have been set up, they are still set up in many ways. Unless we can continue to educate our community, it’s not business as usual. We encourage people to recognize it, do what we are doing and some. Just remember the foundation.”

On Saturday, a livestream starts at 11 a.m. Organizers say from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. there will be pre-celebration content. From 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., there will be celebration content, including the parade. There will also be a live stream on Sunday.