Speaking Of: Episode 43

This week on Speaking Of… Juneteenth commemorates the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas heard the news that slavery was effectively over. Today’s it’s recognized as Emancipation Day and in 2021 it became a federal holiday. But for years Tallahassee has been celebrating emancipation on May 20th. Why does Tallahassee have its own emancipation holiday? And how has our local celebration of these events evolved over time? Gina Jordan is looking into these questions with some help from local experts. Also, the 5^th annual Juneteenth Empowerment Day Festival was hosted recently in Cascades Park. The event was originally founded to help boost local black owned businesses but has grown to help educate the larger public on the importance and significance of Juneteenth. Josh Johnson sat down with Al Williams and Brittany Bacon, two organizers of the festival, to discuss this year’s event. And… we’re discussing Black Music Month. A time to celebrate the legacy, culture, and impact of black musicians across generations.