NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Juneteenth is our nation’s holiday that celebrates when all citizens were freed.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday that commemorates when the enslaved in Galveston, Texas were freed, on June 19, 1865. That was roughly two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation.
In WGNO’s special Juneteenth program, we explore that concept of freedom through the stories of real people and ultimately show how freedom has evolved over the years.
June is also Black Music Month. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter designated an entire month to celebrate the paramount musical influence that African Americans have had over the culture and heritage of the United States.
This year, in commemoration of the freedom of Juneteenth, we celebrate freedom through stories of Black music for a special production of Moving New Orleans Forward with hosts LBJ and Christopher Leach. This year, we do so at the historic Dew Drop Inn Hotel & Lounge.
The WGNO Juneteenth special airs on WGNO at 6:30 p.m. and on NOLA38 at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, June 19.
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