Georgetown celebrates Juneteenth
The annual Juneteenth Celebration took place June 17 at the Richard Allen School on South Railroad Avenue in Georgetown.
Sponsored by the Richard Allen Coalition, Everlasting Hope Ministries, Restoration Worship Center and the Buffalo Soldiers, the event included entertainment, food trucks and booths, entertainment, speeches, awards, numerous vendors, public service booths and the Beebe Healthcare Community Mobile Health Clinic, door prizes, a parade, Nanticoke Indian Tribe dancing, performances and children’s activities, including book giveaways.
The Richard Allen School, now owned by the coalition, was one of more than 80 African American schools built throughout the state with funds from philanthropist Pierre S. du Pont. The school was open from the late 1920s to 1967.
Juneteenth, which became a federal holiday in 2021, commemorates the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Juneteenth traces its roots back to June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans were freed in Texas, which was three years after the Emancipation Proclamation freed all enslaved people.
