Annual Juneteenth Festival Celebrated Around the World

The news that US President Abraham Lincoln had emancipated slaves in the rebellious southern states in September, 1862, did not reach slaves in Texas until June 19, 1865, a few months after the end of the US Civil war. With the arrival of federal troops that day, and the end of slavery, the newly freed African Americans held a big celebration, which they called Juneteenth. As VOA’s Greg Flakus reports from Houston, Juneteenth has been celebrated annually ever since... and not just in Texas.

© La Voix de l'Amérique - mercredi 18 juin 2014