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It was a celebration with meaning as people came out late Thursday afternoon for a Juneteenth Celebration at Lions Park in Austin. 

A large group from the public came out to take part in community fun including kids games, music and plenty of food.

But it was also a celebration of one of the biggest moments in American history when on June 19, 1865, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, Union soldiers brought word to Galveston, Texas that slaves there were free.

According to Bryan Davis in his welcome to those gathered Thursday, that moment in time became a symbol of justice that came late, but also of hope and perseverance.

“Juneteenth reminds us that freedom has never been free,” said Davis, who is corporate officer for Black Leaders & Allies Advancing Cultural Knowledge (BLAACK) at Hormel Foods as well as co-chair of the Austin Human Rights commission. “It’s been earned through generations of struggle, joy, culture and community. And while we celebrate today, we also reflect on the progress still needed in our workplaces, our neighborhoods and our hearts.”

A fusion of the words June and nineteenth, Juneteenth was recognized as a federal holiday for the first time in 2021 when President Joe Biden signed it into law. However, early versions of the celebration dated back to 1866 with church-centered community gatherings in Texas.

“As part of the Hormel family and the Austin community, we’re proud to continue the tradition of honoring our history, uplifting our people and creating space to be together,” Davis said. “Not just as co-workers or community members, but as humans.”