Thousands of people came to Five Points on Saturday to celebrate Juneteenth, although some say many have forgotten the day’s importance.
Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865, the day slaves in Texas learned they were free, two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
The first celebration was held in 1867 in Texas and is celebrated nationwide. The celebration came to Denver in the early 1980s.
Kathy Witten said the festival used to be bigger.
“It seems like it missed a generation,” Witten said. “For the younger generations, it seems like just another festival.”
Witten said her father loved coming to the celebration every year, and she is trying to pass the tradition on to her 14-year-old son. She said she wants the celebration to be something he enjoys.
She works with a youth foundation and talked to children about Juneteenth on Friday.
“Some of the kids were really surprised when they found out not all the slaves knew they were free,” she said. “They thought it was a given and everyone knew.”
Mixed in with the live music, vendors selling clothing and food trucks lining Welton Street were booths with information about the history of Juneteenth.
At the Blair Caldwell African American Research Library, actors were in costume ready to teach curious children and adults alike about the history of African-Americans in Colorado.
Mayor-elect Michael Hancock said the Denver observance of Juneteenth is one of the largest in the country.
He grew up in the Five Points neighborhood, not far from Manual High School, the starting point of the parade.
He said he has been a part of the celebration since he was a little kid.
“It’s part of the American experience,” he said. “We need to make sure all kids know the importance of Juneteenth and work to bring back a sense of pride to the occasion.”
Marne Gulley, who is white and teaches English at Manual High School, said she doesn’t recall hearing about Juneteenth growing up. She sat and watched the parade with her adopted African-American daughter — and is in the process of adopting her birth sister — enjoying the experience.
“I’m trying to make a connection to their community and heritage,” she said.
Caitlin Gibbons: 303-954-1638 or cgibbons@denverpost.com
