Foundation for a Drug-Free South Celebrates Juneteenth

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

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. In Nashville, an event is planned to commemorate the occasion at historic Fort Negley. On June 22^nd, from 10am-3pm, there will be a program with multiple choirs, speeches, reenactments by a President Lincoln look-alike, games, food and a special tour of the Fort.  Everyone is welcome and the event is free.  Dr. Tommie Morton-Young, who received the Human Rights Lifetime Achievement Award in 2009, will deliver the Keynote Speech.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free South is excited to participate in the program. “This is a great opportunity to work together and remind people that drugs are another trap,” says Anne Vallieres who coordinates local activities, “It’s also of note that this time of the month coincides with International Day Against Drug Abuse.”

The Foundation for a Drug-Free South program is centered around the “Truth About Drugs” booklet which 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.