Community

Cotton Club Museum leads Gainesville’s Journey to Juneteenth with May 20 Emancipation Day event

The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center will host an all-day commemoration on May 20 marking the day in 1865 when General McCook read the Emancipation Proclamation to enslaved Floridians, making it the state’s own emancipation date. The event serves as the launch of Gainesville’s sixth annual Journey to Juneteenth series and begins with a heritage march from Depot Park to the museum, accompanied by freedom songs and spirituals. Programming throughout the day includes choir performances, drumming, spoken word, children’s activities, and a flower-laying ceremony honoring formerly enslaved Union Army soldiers.

Sources: The Gainesville Iguana