Gifford’s second annual Freedom Day Celebration once again lauded the date of May 20, 1865, when Florida officially recognized the emancipation of slavery. And where better for folks to gather to honor such a pivotal point in U.S. history than at the Taste of Black History: Emancipation in Florida remembrance, held on the grounds of the Gifford Historical Museum and Cultural Center, formerly the historic Macedonia Church.

“We celebrate this day because on May 20, 1865, Gen. Edward McCook went to Tallahassee, Florida, and stood on the steps of the Knott House and read the Emancipation Proclamation and freed over 150,000 enslaved of Florida,” said Jonnie Mae Perry, Gifford Historical Museum and Cultural Center CEO, as she welcomed the assemblage.

While President Abraham Lincoln had signed the proclamation declaring the abolishment of slavery on Jan. 1, 1863, the news was slow to make its way, be accepted or be enforced, especially in the South. Word came even later in Texas, the news not making it there until June 19, 1865. Today, that day is recognized as the Juneteenth National Independence Day.

The event here was celebrated with joyful music, prayer and great food, with a sense of pride of community permeating throughout the day.

Noting their culture has always been deeply rooted in religion, Annette Reason led the crowd in the Black National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” a poignant reminder of their hard-won liberty.

And, as residents reminisced about the past, one special guest stood out. Surrounded by several generations of her family, 103-year-old Lenora Williams happily shared the story of how her great-grandmother walked 26 miles from Jefferson County to Tallahassee in 1865 to celebrate Florida’s emancipation.

The event started off with people strolling a much shorter distance, a 4K Walk around the Martin Luther King Jr. Walking Trail, before the festival began, during which people could visit the Gifford Historical Museum.

Artist Dominique Tynes, niece of James Gibson, one of the original Florida Highwaymen, was there with her artwork, and historian Jadie Barringer, dressed as a Union Soldier, took folks back in time with a historical reenactment.

The Indian River County Historical Society, Cultural Council and Laura Riding Jackson Foundation were also on hand to add other historical and cultural perspectives, as were various other community nonprofits, including the VNA Mobile Bus and Treasure Coast Community Health, who offered blood pressure checks and vaccinations.

For the children, the Learning Alliance flew in its crew on the Moonshot Rocket Bus to promote the importance of literacy. Children could visit with Moonshot, TLA’s kid-friendly spokes puppet, make their own books, and write about their hopes and dreams for the future.

For more information, visit GiffordHistoricalMuseumAndCulturalCenter.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis