INDIANAPOLIS — Juneteenth is the federal holiday that commemorates June 19, 1865, the day the last slaves in the United States learned they were free. Community groups around Indianapolis marked the day of liberation with celebration and inspiration.
The Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association organized a Juneteenth cookout at its headquarters, the former Indianapolis Fire Department Station 31 on 42nd Street near the Monon Trail.
"It's a mark of freedom and being able to understand where you're coming from to know where you're going," said Indianapolis Black Firefighters Association president Corey Floyd.
Visitors also received a sneak peek inside of the organization's new museum within Station 31.
Floyd said the cookout hoped to solidify the fire station's role as a place for the whole community to come together.
"This is like my backyard," Floyd said. "One of the original pop machines is still here. I don't get rid of it because firefighters gave me soda out of that. They aired up our bicycle tires when we rolled through the neighborhood. It was so important for me to serve in that same community when I became a firefighter."
While the firefighters' cookout was going on, landscapers with Keep It Beautiful Indianapolis were remodeling Charlie Wiggins Park on the city's northwest side as a Juneteenth service project.
The park, named after the first Black mechanic to repair cars at the Indianapolis 500, is beneath Interstate 65 near 29th Street. Hadiah Amit of the Northwest Landing Neighborhood Association said the community needed all of the help it could get to revitalize it.
"This park, because it had fallen into disrepair, was not safe enough to really enjoy," Amit said.
Landscapers cut down trees, replaced sod, and built new benches for the park.
Amit believes their service on Charlie Wiggins Park exemplified the meaning of Juneteenth.
"It's about freedom," Amit said. "It's bringing hope and strength and love and energy back to Black communities."
-
Kids shop with the Colts for the holidays
An evening to remember for some young people with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana. Tuesday, about 15 "littles" got to shop with a Colts player for the holidays.
New Boys & Girls Club lounge helps support youth literacy in Indy
The LeGore Unit Literacy Lounge has been transformed into a vibrant space stacked with books of all genres, posters and cozy nooks to curl up in.
Hope Center Indy helps trafficking survivors rebuild their lives
With help from an anti-trafficking organization, Jones came to Indianapolis from California and found Hope Center Indy, a place she says saved her life.
Immigration enforcement bill heads to full Senate after party-line vote
A proposed immigration enforcement bill that would require all state-funded agencies to comply with federal immigration laws and provide training on immigration cleared a Senate committee Tuesday.
