JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – The City of Natchez took part in its own Juneteenth celebration on Friday. Leaders signed over land to the National Park Service, which will reassemble the land where the Forks of the Road slave markets were located prior to the Civil War.
The transfer comes one day after President Joe Biden signed a bill that made Juneteenth a federal holiday.
“We celebrate today, a day when things have gotten just a little bit better in this work in progress, in this experiment in democracy and freedom,” stated U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.).
Bernadette Wilson took part in the celebrations with her seven-year-old-grandson, Jase.
“It means the world to be here today.. This is a time he can really learn about his history and what’s going on around him,” she said.
Congressman Bennie Thompson was among those who played an integral role in preserving and enhancing the historical significance of the forks of the road site. Thompson was unable to make it on Friday.
