ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) – This is joy.
”I am out here just celebrating life and celebrating my people,” said Almeta White.
Pride.
”To me, Juneteenth means coming together to celebrate our heritage, to learn our heritage, to communicate with each other, to collaborate with each other, to stand together. And really being able to show everyone else, the beauty of our heritage,” said Cierra Jackson, Miss Black International Ambassador.
Excellence.
”Freedom, liberation, coming together and being a part of unity,” said White.
This is Juneteenth, Atlanta style.
”To be out here with my baby girl, it feels amazing. The vibe is right. There are people who look like me out here and people who don’ look like me out here and everything feels good,” said Nicholas Manning.
Soaked in meaning.
”Just came to celebrate Juneteenth and the meaning of it and make sure that my children, more importantly, understand what it is really all about. It is not just another “off” holiday. It is a celebration of the real freedom,” said Voronda Tillman, holding her daughter.
Full of hope for the future and passion for the present.
”Representation is important, so many times we see so many standards of beauty but I have always wanted to implement African standards of beauty because I am an African American woman. I want to make sure people can see a dark-skinned, chocolate-skinned woman, with naturally curly hair, with an HBC degree out here living her best life!” said Jackson.
For one day, the streets of downtown Atlanta were blocked off, families laughed and cheered, kids danced, people came together.
If Juneteenth in downtown Atlanta had a word, it would be joy.
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