Tampa police, community gather to honor history of Juneteenth
TAMPA, Fla. - Five years ago, the nation recognized the first Juneteenth. It marks the day in 1965 when Union soldiers went to Galveston, Texas and told enslaved people they were free. It happened two years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
The Tampa Police Department held an event at Perry Harvey Senior Park hoping to bridge the gap between the men and women in blue and the community.
Major Eric DeFelice of the department said, "Typically they see us when we have our uniform on calls for service. This gives them an opportunity to see us as the people behind the badge."
DeFelice says the park they hosted the event at holds a special meaning.
The backstory:
"Many people don't know the history of Central Avenue, which is here in this park," DeFelice added. "It's a park now, but back in the day it was a thriving African American community."
He explained, "You can see the curbs left standing there, which is a subtle reminder of what it used to be".
What they're saying:
Organizers said it's also about teaching the younger generation about the past. National Juneteenth Ambassadors with Blessed Productions Ministry shared what it means to them.
"I'm very proud of what I do, and it allows me to understand it at a deeper level that I may not know at first," Kandice Jackson explained.
Amiyrah Newsrom added, "it means I can show off my history, and I am proud to be here."
Big picture view:
The community hopes to educate the younger generation and others about the history that they will never forget.
"Just know your ancestor paid the price for you to stand here today," Chief Barbara Tripp of the Tampa Fire Department said. "That's what makes it so good to be able to celebrate this day of freedom."
The Tampa Police Department's Black History committee has been around since the 1980s. They hand out five scholarships a year to high school students in the city, investing in their future.
The Source: FOX 13 gathered this information from the Tampa Police Department's Juneteenth event.