SAN ANTONIO – Members of the community joined the San Antonio Juneteenth Coalition for the 40th anniversary of Texas’ 1979 legislation of the Juneteenth Holiday.
- Celebration for abolition of slavery
- Over 200,000 people in Texas were freed
- Festival continues over the weekend
Juneteenth Freedom Day is a widely recognized celebration of the moment 154 years ago, (June 19, 1865) when more than 200,000 enslaved persons in Texas found out that they were both free and independent from being considered as someone else's property.
Students of St. Phillip’s College along with other local organizations gathered at Sam Houston High School and walked towards Comanche Park Saturday morning to celebrate the day’s history.
A festival continued in the park and will continue through Sunday. It is a free event.
The grand marshal for the parade was a local hero in the fields of national security and civil rights; fourth generation San Antonian Oliver W. Hill.
Hill served with Kelly Air Force Base for more than 37 years in San Antonio. He also served twice as leader of the San Antonio Branch NAACP with appointments in 1997 and 2011.
Oscar Vicks shares leadership of the Juneteenth Parade with his spouse and co-chair Doris Vicks.