For the first time, a parade to celebrate the end of slavery in the United States will be held in Lawrenceville.
The Juneteenth motorcade will begin Friday at 9:30 a.m., said Marlene Taylor-Crawford, president of Gwinnett County's United Ebony Society.
The group usually holds a Martin Luther King, Jr. Day parade, and has an event to commemorate Juneteenth, Taylor-Crawford said. But with the coronavirus pandemic ongoing, a socially distanced option seemed like a better choice.
Participants have been asked to decorate their cars and to meet at 1154 Lawrenceville Highway to caravan about 2.5 miles.
Innocent Wamey, who helped organize the event, said the distance represents the fact that it took two-and-a-half years for word to spread about emancipation. Other events in other states will echo the distance, with many people walking 2.5 miles, he said.
Wamey and Taylor-Crawford both said they hope the recent protests and the car parade help raise the holiday's visibility. They would like Juneteenth to be declared a national holiday.
“There’s a level of consciousness within the community,” Wamey said. “We already recognize it. It’s more so to get the entire community to understand. I think it’s important for the community as a whole.”
Taylor-Crawford said she expects the motorcade to continue even once more traditional gatherings can happen. She hopes rising awareness of Juneteenth helps people understand both the struggles and the triumphs of the black community.
“We have been fighting for generations and generations,” she said. “Black history is not just for us, it’s American history.”
For more information on the event, see www.unitedebonysociety.org.
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