In Tempe, the Arizona Historical Society hosted its annual Juneteenth Community Celebration on Sunday to honor African American history and culture.
The celebration comes two years after Juneteenth became recognized as a federal holiday. Various people entered the Arizona Heritage Center and checked out various exhibitions and live entertainment.
Todd Bailey serves as the special projects coordinator for the organization.
“We have the ‘I Am’ exhibit photos by Eric Elmore. They're photographs of our George Floyd protests here. And a new exhibit called ‘Hallelujah Hats’ by Bruce Nelson," he said.
“Hallelujah Hats," which had its grand opening during the event, celebrated African American churches in Mesa through the fashion of women.
Floyd Brown from central Phoenix attended the community celebration and shared his reaction.
“Soon as we pulled in the parking lot, this entire building excited me. I got chills, goosebumps walking into the place and then seeing some of the historical aspects that are on display. Yeah, it means a lot and I’ll be frequenting here more often," he said.
Community partners also gathered at the event.
