HELENA — One hundred sixty years ago, enslaved people in Galveston, Texas learned of their freedom nearly two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, and in Helena, the community is reflecting on the end of slavery and celebrating black history and culture.
"It is all about celebrating the past but also the future," said Helena resident Elizabeth Owens.
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Thursday evening's celebration was a collaboration between the Montana Historical Society, the City of Helena, the Myrna Loy, the Holter Museum of Art, and Alive at Five, which raised money for African-American education.
Laura Marsh, the community engagement specialist for the Montana Historical Society, says, "In the post-civil war era, a lot of freed black people came up for mining opportunities after having served in the military, or people had been brought west as slaves and with their new freedom were embarking on different enterprises."
Although Juneteenth is not recognized as a state holiday, it is recognized as a federal and a city holiday, and its celebration and activities continue to grow each year.
"A lot of it was coming together with food, speaking, traditional lawn games, so we have tried to bring back some of those elements into our celebration today," Marsh says.
The Helena Fire Department barbequed, and people engaged in traditional lawn games like sack races and ring toss.
"I am in awe of the people, the kindness, the knowledge, and the history," Owens says.
The Last Chance Tour Train also chugged around town for black history tours.
The evening closed with spoken word at the Myrna Loy by Blck Agua and Nnamdi.
