SAN ANTONIO – Thousands gathered on Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth in San Antonio. It’s a holiday that marks the day in 1865 when Texas slaves learned they had been freed.
Oscar Vicks has been organizing and coordinating a Juneteenth parade since 1999 and said the parade then involved only five people. Now, the participation is much bigger.
For Vicks, the day is special now that Juneteenth is observed as a federal holiday.
“I never thought it would happen in my lifetime. And I look around and see all these people sometimes just ask me, how did you expect this? I said, this is beyond expectation,“ Vicks said.
A military veteran, Vicks says he has been fighting for freedom his entire life.
“I got shot in Vietnam in 1970, and I was supposed to be over there fighting for people’s freedom and their rights and I come home, and I got colored restrooms and no rights and ever since then, I’ve been fighting for freedom,” Vicks said.
He is not alone, as others celebrating shared his sentiment.
“I think that as a country, we are growing and all of the historic events that we have that have pushed us forward, they are growing to the point where we are recognizing the struggles that we have come through,” Betty William, Grand Marshall said.
“There is a long way to go in this country to achieve the kind of equity and racial justice that we that we want. So, the march continues and we celebrate what we have accomplished,” Ron Nirenberg, mayor of San Antonio said.
Juneteenth is regularly marked with celebrations, parades, food, music, and families coming together. But more importantly it’s a time to rejoice, reflect and assess and plan for the future. Parade organizers were happy with the turn out and hope next year will be even better.
“We still have a lot of work to do, but it is good to take the time to pause and reflect and think about, you know, where we’ve come from and where we’re going,” Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, City Council District 2 councilman said.