Drug-Free South Celebrates Freedom in All Forms

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration commemorating the ending of slavery in the United States. This year, the Foundation for a Drug-Free South joined the celebration with a new message of freedom—freedom from drugs. 

Fort Negley hosted a celebration for Juneteenth in Nashville, Tennessee, to commemorate the ending of slavery and the start of freedom. To bring freedom from the deadly trap of drug addiction, the Foundation for a Drug-Free South was happy to participate and distribute materials to everyone at the event.

According to juneteenth.com, the Juneteenth celebrations date back to 1865, and it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation – which had become official January 1, 1863.  Today, Juneteenth is celebrated in African American communities across the country.

Following a program with multiple choirs, speeches and reenactments by a President Lincoln look-alike, there was a flurry of activity outside with informational booths, games, food and special tours of the Fort.  Dr. Tommie Morton-Young, who received the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, delivered the Keynote Speech.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free South was excited to participate. Rev. Brian Fesler coordinates the local activities and said, “This celebration is truly about freedom. We come to it knowing that drugs form a trap in our modern world and it is our job to see to it that everyone today achieves the freedom to live a full life.”

The Foundation for a Drug-Free South centers its activities around the “Truth About Drugs” booklet, an informational pamphlet that details short- and long-term effects of drugs, common street names and myths that a drug dealer might use to make a sale.  For more information, visit www.drugfreesouth.org.

For more information about Juneteenth and the celebrations around the country, visit www.juneteenth.com.