KENTUCKY — On this week's edition of In Focus Kentucky, we’re discussing Juneteenth, also known as Freedom Day.

The June 19 holiday commemorates the day in 1865 when Union Major General Gordon Granger informed a reluctant community in Galveston, Texas, that President Abraham Lincoln had freed enslaved people in rebel states two and a half years earlier. 

Host Mario Anderson recently spoke with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer to find out details that the city of Louisville has in place to recognize this time in history.

“Juneteenth has a long history as a day of celebration in the Black community. I believe it’s past time that our entire city honors the victory for freedom that Juneteenth represents with the celebration it deserves,” the Mayor said.

There are a number of events across the Commonwealth to celebrate Juneteenth. It's a holiday that commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free on June 19, 1865 in Galveston, Texas, where Union soldiers brought them the news two years after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Louisville is celebrating the Juneteenth Jubilee, thanks to 15-member Juneteenth Jubilee Celebration Commission, that organized events celebrating its historical significance in Louisville. The commission also is advising on ways to create a series of educational and cultural events and communitywide celebrations for Juneteenth 2022 and beyond, public health conditions allowing.

In addition, the commission developed a budget and secure sponsorships and other funding needed to produce the celebration, in coordination with Waterfront Park, Metro Council and Louisville Metro Government. 

The commission will work to present events that will highlight Black-owned businesses, encourage entrepreneurship and wealth building, and showcase historically Black colleges and universities.

Lexington's NAACP chapter has compiled a list of Juneteenth events happening in Central Kentucky this week. There will also be a celebration in Owensboro at Kendall-Perkins Park.