**The Dynamic Dolls Dance Team march up West Broadway Avenue North during a parade that kicked off a Juneteenth block party Monday.** Photo by Azhae’la Hanson

By Alanee Wright, North News intern

Joseph Sutton has celebrated Juneteenth all his life but this year feels extra special.

For the first time, the day marking the official end to slavery in America was recognized as a Minnesota state holiday

“It is important for us to feel the importance of having our voices heard, and having this holiday recognized,” said Sutton, a Northsider his entire life. “This holiday is huge for people to realize that this is a day of celebration. It is a Black people’s Fourth of July.”

North Minneapolis celebrated the Juneteenth weekend with several events. People marched in the streets, sang chants, and highlighted Black Businesses. People were recognizing the generations before them that sacrificed so much for Black freedom.

Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when, union soldiers informed slaves in Galveston, Texas they were free. They were the last group of slaves to learn of their freedom some two and half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.

**At Bethune Park on Saturday, actors portraying Civil War-era figures re-enacted the day Maj. Gen. Gordan Granger informed the last group of slaves that they were free**. Photo by David Pierini

Slaves celebrated their newfound freedom and the joy that followed. Over the years, it became a holiday celebrated by Black Americans across the nation. In 2021, it became a federal holiday.

On Feb. 3 Gov. Tim Walz signed a bill making Juneteenth a state holiday. It was a bill sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, who represents North Minneapolis.

“First of all, we want to thank the government for making Juneteenth a (state) holiday but know that we have been celebrating freedom within our communities for so many generations,” said Lee Henry Jordan, a long-time organizer of local Juneteenth celebrations. “So, the story has always been and will always be there within the community and within our families.”

**Helen Dillon, left, Rachel Hurst and Cierra Hurst watch each others steps as they dance to music at Bethune Park Saturday**. Photo by David Pierini

It is a holiday dedicated to the triumph of knowing that until all of us are free, none of us will be free. Juneteenth is a long-term reflection and action on the fight for freedom that Black ancestors died for.

This past weekend’s celebration is a testimony to the impact of recognizing the parts of American history that have been left out.

Minnesota is taking steps to acknowledge, remember, learn, and act towards the continuous fight for freedom that Black Americans still face.

Hassan Qai As-Sidiq said he appreciates the state recognizing Juneteenth but said that the day should be more about Black empowerment than a day off from work.

“I think that maybe we should think about how we can promote Black businesses on Juneteenth as opposed to just shutting down the white economic enterprise,” he said. “I think that does a disservice to the progression of the Black community.”

Northsiders reflect on an extra special Juneteenth