“I think it’s a wonderful expression of liberty,” he said. “(It) is one thing to be free in the physical realm, but people need to get free in their mind, body and soul. You need to take your mind and emotion out of slavery.”

The festival, which has been held in Lansing for the past 16 years, specifically celebrates the day in 1865 a Union general announced the passage of the Emancipation Proclamation to slaves and soldiers in Galveston, Texas. Texas was the first state to create the Juneteenth holiday in 1980. It has been an official state holiday since 2005.

“It’s a festive time because it’s a day of jubilation for African Americans,” event co-organizer Marilyn Plummer said. “But not just African Americans. We want to celebrate with the entire community, the entire city. We want everyone to come out and appreciate who we are, because we appreciate the other cultures (and) exactly who the other cultures are in the diverse, ethnic mix we have here in the city.”

Dee Freeman, an author and poet living in Lansing, said the Juneteenth celebration is a vindication of black creative and productive freedoms.

“The underlying message is freedom; the fact that we have freedom,” Freeman said.

This year’s event kicked off Thursday at Lansing City Hall, 124 W. Michigan Ave., with speakers including Mayor Virg Bernero and Yvonne White, president of the Michigan State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

Events continued through Saturday, with entertainment ranging from gospel and jazz music to face painting and crafts.

“My favorite part is the people coming together, the fellowship we experience (and) the heart-to-heart emotion we share,” Plummer said. “To be a part of the celebration is to be a part of the people.”

Juneteenth committee member Rodney Shepard said although inclement weather caused a smaller turnout than past years, the tradition continues to grow as time goes on. About 50 people were at the event in the early afternoon.

“It’s a celebration of the advancement of this country,” he said.

That growth includes educating younger generations, who are charged with working to keep the culture alive, Plummer said.

“The exciting thing for me is the growth of Juneteenth with our young people,” she said. “They’re the ones that are going to carry it as we go forward into the future.”