In honor of the men and women who endured slavery and the horrendous conditions that came with it, the Bradley Academy Museum will be hosting a Juneteenth Celebration in Murfreesboro on June 19.

Juneteenth is celebrated in many states across the country to commemorate the abolishment of slavery. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln officially issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, but the proclamation was not enforced in Texas as it was isolated geographically from the rest of the states. Additionally, there was little to no Union presence in the area at the time of the proclamation. It wasn’t until June 19, 1865, two and a half years after Lincoln’s proclamation, that Union soldiers traveled to Galveston, Texas, with the news that the war was over and all slaves were free.

The building that is now the Bradley Academy Museum was, until 1955, the first African-American school in Rutherford County. Bradley Academy Program Coordinator Vonchelle Stembridge said that the museum’s history carries an important significance in this year’s celebration.

“We should make the community aware of the rich African-American history,” Stembridge said. “This day is vital to Rutherford County and the community as a whole. This is a day where the African-American community can give insight into where we came from and where we are now.”

This year’s Juneteenth Celebration in Murfreesboro, held on Saturday, June 16, the weekend prior to June 19, will kick off with a parade that will begin at Central Magnet School at 8 a.m. The parade, complete with floats, will proceed down Main Street and conclude at the Bradley Academy Museum. Organizations such as the African-American Heritage Society and Creative Movements will be creating unique floats for the celebration. The festival portion of the event, which starts at 10 a.m. at the museum, will include storytellers, food vendors, reenactments, spoken-word artists, musicians, a kids zone, a performance from hip-hop artist Nobigdyl. and more. The June 16 event will conclude at 4 p.m.

Nobigdyl.

“It’s a day of festivities for the Murfreesboro community,” Stembridge said. “Most of the activities will be completely free.”

2018 also marks 100 years since the museum’s building opened as the first African-American school in Rutherford County. To celebrate this fact, the Bradley Academy Museum will be displaying the “Our Roots Run Deep” exhibit at the event.

“We would like to showcase how important the African-American community has been in the success of Rutherford County,” Stembridge said.

The exhibit will be made up of contributions from three groups: art educators in Rutherford County, local artists in the community and local youth. People that represent these three groups will donate different items and displays to the exhibit that represent their roots.

“It’s through their eyes how they see their roots,” Stembridge said.

Bradley Academy Museum is located at 415 S. Academy St.; for more information, visit bradleymuseum.com.