GRETNA, Va. – Hundreds of people came out for the second annual Juneteenth Festival at Sharswood Manor Estate, where they strived to reclaim the narrative of Black history in Gretna.
It’s been two years since Juneteenth became an official federal holiday, and people all around the country are finding new ways to celebrate.
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In Gretna at the Sharswood Manor Estate, owner Fred Miller and his family have turned the former slave plantation into a place of celebration and freedom.
“I think a place like this offers so much in terms of bringing people together, to changing the narrative on what America’s past used to be,” Miller said.
Miller and his sister, Karen Dixon’s, great-great-grandparents were enslaved on the plantation in the 1800s.
“To this day, it’s hurtful to me thinking about what they would have experienced that long ago,” Dixon said.
On Sunday, black-owned businesses, musicians and food vendors came out for a Juneteenth celebration.
Dixon says hosting the event at Sharswood shows how far they’ve come.
“We don’t have to live in the past. In moving forward, we’re going to stand on the strength of our ancestors and move forward in a positive light,” she said.
Makel Dickerson joined in the celebration.
He says it’s important to remember the history of slavery.
“Not only do we overcome that, but we’re here to say we’re here and we made it and we’ll absolutely defeat anything and any challenge,” Dickerson said.
Dickerson says even though the country has come a long way, there is still work to be done.
“Not only has that been a part of our history through slavery, but just to get here today and to combat all the racism that we do face today, and we’re still here,” he said
Organizers say they hope to continue the event for years to come.