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‘We’ve come a long, long way’: Juneteenth celebration in Kirby marks 160 years since last enslaved people were freed

Hundreds of people gathered for the celebration

KIRBY, TexasJuneteenth 2025 marks 160 years since the last enslaved people were freed from Galveston, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation initially freed all slaves.

True Vision Church in Kirby hosted a Juneteenth celebration to honor the day and bring the community together.

“We’ve come a long, long way,” Tina King, a participant in the celebration, said. “Our grandmothers, grandfathers, and our mothers’ fathers, they paved the way for us to be where we are today.”

Hundreds of people attended the celebration to remember the slaves who died for their rights and to honor the people who came before them.

“Celebrating our freedom is something that we want to do, that we deserve to do,” Jerome Roberson said.

“I’m only five generations away from being a slave, so this means a lot to me,” Vanilla Hardeman said.

Their hope for the future is that Juneteenth celebrations continue to grow in size and gain greater appreciation from the community and future generations.

“Juneteenth, this is the time we learn about our freedom and our rights,” Alesia Dean said. “We still need to explain to [our children] that we need to understand where we come from.”

“Honestly, I just hope that we keep on the tradition of teaching what black history is, not subjecting us to just one month,“ Princess Durham said.

There is a free and family-friendly Juneteenth block party scheduled to take place from 3-9 p.m. on Saturday, June 21, at Crockett Park.


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