Notification of the end of slavery in the United States came on June 19th, 1865. Slaves in states including Louisiana and Texas, were among the last to receive word of emancipation.
On Saturday, a community celebration recognizes the 150th anniversary of the occasion. Rays of Sonshine's Marie Brown is one of the event coordinators. She says the event has grown in the past three years it has been held. "We're connecting with people from Mississippi, the Shreveport area, and Texas to be a part of the day."
Brown says live entertainment, food, and a health fair are part of the festivities at Charles Johnson Children's Park in Monroe.
She says the celebration lends itself to sharing on the significance of the day. "It was almost a shock that few school children knew of the history of that day. I decided we needed to start telling people about it, make it a holiday, and educate our youth," said Brown.
A citywide unity prayer service is also part of the commemoration. It is scheduled for this evening at 7 p.m. at St. James United Methodist Church.