Juneteenth offers black community much to celebrate

The annual Juneteenth celebration in Stockton is the anniversary of Texas abolishing of slavery...

Luther Vandross was outed as gay after his death.

The annual Juneteenth celebration in Stockton is the anniversary of Texas abolishing of slavery. Recordnet.com reports that Stockton celebrates that day that the identity of blacks was returned to them in Texas.

STOCKTON – History is something many people learn in a classroom. But this weekend it comes to the real world.

The annual Juneteenth celebration in Stockton marks the anniversary (June 19, 1865) of Texas’ announcement of the abolition of slavery. That was the final chapter marking the end of slavery in the United States.

“The meaning of Juneteenth really is the identification and recognition of all slaves being freed,” said Terrence West, community social services director for Taft Community Center. “Reading history, you hear a lot of stories about when it happened, where it happened, who’s responsible. The feeling was very exuberant. A long time coming. We can exhale now and now we are considered part of the United States and not members of just the working class.”

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