HAGERSTOWN – The public is invited to a Juneteenth ceremony at the Halfway African American Cemetery on Thursday, June 19, at 10 a.m.
The event will take place at 11027 Clinton Ave. and will feature the dedication of a new park bench. The bench honors the African American individuals interred at the cemetery, with special recognition for 14 African American Civil War veterans and one World War I veteran buried on the grounds.
Juneteenth, sometimes called the nation’s second 4th of July, notes the date when all slaves in the U.S. were declared free. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation was made effective in 1863, it could not be implemented in places still under Confederate control. As a result, in the westernmost Confederate state of Texas, enslaved people would not be free until much later. Freedom finally came on June 19, 1865, when some 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, and made the pronouncement.
The Halfway African American Cemetery, operated from 1897 to 1932 by the Independent Order of the Good Samaritans and Daughters of Samaria, stands as a testament to the resilience and contributions of the African American community in Washington County.
Community members are encouraged to attend the commemoration, which celebrates history, freedom and remembrance.
