The Fort Wayne week-long Juneteenth celebration kicked off on Sunday with an event honoring the elders in the city’s Black community. Juneteenth commemorates the date when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas were told they had been freed by the Emancipation Proclamation. WBOI’s Ella Abbott captured the sound of the week-long celebration's first event.
The nominees for the Elders Jubilee were Carrie Abernathy, Bonnie Andrews, Mary Barksdale, J. Synovia Brown, Charles Jackson, George Middleton, Loretta E. Moore, Daisy Riley, Abbie Jewel Robinson, Mary Simpson, Goldie Smith and James Winters.
The honored elders were Verna Adams, Naomi Bailey, Clemmie Harris, Doctor John Lee, Henria McGee and Reverend Sam Shade Jr.
The city's Juneteenth celebration will continue until June 19. You can find a full list of the weeks activities on the Facebook event page.
