Juneteenth Celebration by Black in Mayberry

Tanya Taylor is an international tax law attorney. Prior to arriving in the US Tanya lived and worked in Switzerland, England, Spain, and France and has travelled the globe extensively. Tanya has always been an advocate for justice and civil liberty.

"All persons held as slaves" within the rebelling states "are and henceforth shall be free" according to the proclamation.

There are so many freedom fighters throughout history, all playing pivotal roles in our journey to true freedom. This Juneteenth, we would like to pay homage to African-American activists and honor them.

At Black in Mayberry, we believe that art is a powerful tool for encouraging discourse, educating minds, and changing hearts.

Through creative collaborations with artists and activists we intend to expose, discuss, and evaluate current systems and doctrines that uphold racism whether direct or indirect.

This year’s Juneteenth festival will feature a variety of activities for the whole family, including live music, performances, interactive arts, black-owned business vendors, food trucks, and a kid's zone. Attendees will have the opportunity to enjoy a rich cultural heritage.

Mayor Boyles honors Black in Mayberry founder Tanya Taylor with a city Juneteenth proclamation.

Black in Mayberry is a nonprofit organization dedicated to combating racism through the arts. Through a variety of programs and initiatives, Black in Mayberry seeks to promote diversity, inclusion, and social change in the community.

African American dancers once again celebrate the victories, the progress, the resistance, the beauty, the joys, the music, the resilience, the culture, and our history in America!

In celebrating, I think it is always important for us to continue to share this history with people who are new to learning about Juneteenth and those who have always celebrated it. 

When the Emancipation Proclamation went into effect on January 1, 1863, it promised freedom to the over 3.5 million African Americans enslaved in confederate states.

The Proclamation, however, was not enforceable until those Confederate states came under Union control. As the Union army marched across the South, many slave owners fled with their slaves to Texas to maintain their slaveholding status.

In 1865 many enslaved had heard rumors of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, but without Union enforcement, the Proclamation was merely a promise on a piece of parchment paper.

That promise and enforcement became real when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston with nearly 2,000 Union troops on June 18, 1865.

On the following day, June 19, Granger read “General Order #3” that “officially” ended slavery in the area. It would be another six months before the thirteenth amendment which ended slavery throughout the entire country would be ratified on December 6, 1865.

On the anniversary of Granger’s announcement, formerly enslaved African Americans in Texas celebrated “Jubilee Day” on June 19, 1866, to mark their free status.

The day was also at times called “Freedom Day” and “Liberation Day” before “Juneteenth”.

Tanya Taylor, founder of Black in Mayberry tirelessly continues to push forward for the rights of Black people across the globe.