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ALTON — Alton marked its 34th consecutive Juneteenth celebration on Saturday, June 14, 2025, commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and highlighting the city’s longstanding commitment to the holiday.
Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, is observed annually on June 19. It honors the day in 1865 when Union soldiers informed enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, of their freedom, more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863.
During Saturday’s event, Alton Mayor David Goins presented a detailed proclamation recognizing the city’s involvement in celebrating Juneteenth. The proclamation was given to Marquato Rattler, a member of the Juneteenth Committee.
Abe Lee Barham, one of the founders of Alton’s Juneteenth celebration, said the event drew approximately 1,100 people. “The weather started a little shaky but got better right around 11,” Barham said. “There was a downpour, but everybody was up there and looking forward to it. It went great.”
Barham noted that the celebration featured more exhibitors than in previous years, selling crafts, pickles, homemade soap and T-shirts. The event traces its origins to a gathering in the backyard of Joyce Killian 34 years ago.
“The day means a lot,” Barham said. “We were celebrating Juneteenth before it was a national holiday, before President Biden signed it into law. It is a remembrance of the enslaved who were freed in 1865, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.”
Barham also pointed to the significance of Galveston, Texas, where the original Juneteenth event took place. “They have been doing it a long time,” he said.
He described the celebration as a neighborhood coming together. “Vendors might be selling rib tips, pork steak, sides. One vendor didn’t have enough charcoal and gave some to a neighbor,” Barham said. “It’s about the community coming together, celebrating Juneteenth, and the big fellowship.”
“People are taking notice of it," Barham said of the annual Juneteenth celebration. "We should be prideful of our hall, our park, and our Juneteenth celebration.”
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