The thought of Juneteenth gives Vivian Hudson chills.
Hudson said previously living 30 minutes from Galveston, Texas — where the last group of enslaved African Americans were told they were free on June 19, nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863 — had a lasting impact.
“It absolutely gives me chills that our ancestors stayed enslaved one minute more than they had to,” said Hudson, of the Village of Liberty Park.
Hudson, like many individuals in the state and nation, gathered at events to celebrate Juneteenth this week, which was made a federal holiday in 2021 by former President Joe Biden. Parties ranged from to the gathering on June 15 by The African American Club of The Villages to the 5th annual Facets of Freedom on Thursday in Orlando.
Texas was the last state to officially learn about the Emancipation Proclamation, but Florida only received word a month earlier when Union Gen. Edward McCook announced the abolition of slavery on May 20, 1865, also known as “May Day.”
Tameka Hobbs worked to capture the story of over 160 years of Juneteenth celebrations in Florida with “Before Juneteenth: Florida Emancipation.” The mini-documentary film, funded by The Florida Humanities, highlights the continued celebration of emancipation in Florida.
“People don’t know the history of May 20 in Florida,” Hobbs said. “This project grew out of the frustration to ensure there wasn’t erasure of Black history in Florida.”
The project includes a website with an online archive of photos, posters, news article clippings and other evidence showing emancipation celebrations across the state.
Hudson celebrated the holiday just how she wanted in The Villages this year, dancing, eating and playing games with three of her five siblings and her community during the The African American Club of The Villages’ Juneteenth Freedom Day Potluck at Rohan Recreation.
“I realize what a privilege it is to be alive today,” Hudson said. “It’s amazing what our parents had (to do to survive). We come from people who propelled us forward. (Juneteenth) means freedom and that we are free to do what we want.”
Hudson, and her siblings, Billie Hudson Jr., of the Village of Charlotte, and James Hudson, of the Village of Hadley, danced the night away, exchanging glances and laughs in between snaps and smooth turns. Their oldest sister, Mary Hudson, of the Village of Hemingway, also attended.
Laverne Walker, of the Village of Summerhill, teamed up with Georgia Schonauer, of the Village of Fenney, to host the Juneteenth celebration.
For Walker and Schonauer, the event became an important opportunity to focus on celebrating Black heritage and not oppression.
“It’s important for us because we have such low numbers (of African Americans living) in The Villages, so it’s important to come together as a club,” Schonauer added.
There are 7.4% of African Americans living in The Villages, compared to 89.3% of white people, according to the 2024 Census.
“I am one of a handful in my church and the only one one my block. My goal is to not be invisible,” said Claudia Smith, of the Village of Silver Lake. “I came from Pennsylvania where there was so much diversity, so moving here, it was a culture shock. I’m glad I found this group.”
Darlene Irvine, resident of the Village of Citrus Grove, agreed she is thankful for TAAC and the club’s cultural celebration.
“Celebrating my culture, especially in The Villages, means a lot to me during these struggling times,” Irvine said. “(Juneteenth) is a reminder of how there is always something to be thankful for.”
Carrie Dixon, president of TAAC, said that the goal was to celebrate Juneteenth as previously enslaved African Americans did, with food, song and dance.
To ensure the menu was vast and consisted of Black culture staples, TAAC members were assigned dishes to bring.
The room in Rohan was filled with savory, mouthwatering smells that stretched across multiple tables. The menu consisted of fried chicken, greens, macaroni and cheese, corn, shrimp salad, string beans, dinner roles and potato salad. Award-winning potato salad, in-fact.
Three TAAC members were crowned as the best potato salad makers in The Villages.
Smith, who won first place, said it’s been about 10 years since she made the secret recipe that she was gifted by a friend before her passing.
“I told everybody that I was going to win,” she said while laughing.
Playing old and new instant classics, including “Boots On The Ground” by 803Fresh or “Celebration” by Kool & The Gang, Lawrence Parker of Uptown Jammin LP Sound Production had event attendees rushing to the dance floor throughout the night.
A few days later in Orlando, people gathered for 12 hours on Juneteenth itself to enjoy Black art, performers and vendors for the fifth annual Facets of Freedom Juneteenth Celebration in Orlando.
“This project was birthed out of a desire to celebrate Black people in the art world,” said Caila Carter, managing director of Black Theatre Girl Magic, the nonprofit that hosts the celebration. “Black culture drives so much of culture, but we are often not credited.”
“Rest and joy are radical acts for Black people, considering all the labor we have done,” she said. “So, taking time to just celebrate how far we’ve come was done very intentionally to dismantle racism in all acts of performing arts.”
Carter, a Florida native, said she remembers celebrating the holiday when she was a little girl.
“You can’t talk about Juneteenth and not talk about May Day (May 20),” Carter said. “Hurricanes just happen, earthquakes just happen. Mass kidnapping across oceans don’t just happen. It its intentional, and we must acknowledge that so the harms of the past don’t repeat. It’s part of the act of restorative justice.”
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