Local organizer speaks on the importance of Juneteenth, its tradition

Mac Weddle has been a driving force to keep Milwaukee's Juneteenth day celebrations going for decades.

He is proud of the legacy Northcott neighborhood house started 49 years ago.

DAY - THE DAY IN 1865 WHEN THELAST SLAVES IN GALVESTON,TEXAS FINALLY LEARNED THATTHEY WERE FREE.

MILWAUKEE HASONE OF THE LARGEST AND OLDESTCELEBRATIONS.

SINCE COVID 19CANCELED THIS YEARSCELEBRATION WE WANTED TO TALKTHOSE THAT HAVE MADE THE EVENTAN ANNUAL TRADITION.

THISMORNING SHANNON SIMS TALKEDWITH ONE OF THE ORGANIZERSABOUT SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTSOVER THE YEARS.we have ancestors that gavetheir lives for us to be evenwhere we are today.

Evenduring trying times.MAC WEDDLEHAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE TOKEEP MILWAUKEE'S JUNETEENTHDAY CELEBRATIONS GOING FORDECADES.

HE IS PROUD OF THELEGACY NORTHCOTT NEIGHBORHOODHOUSE STARTED 49 YEARS AGO.thistook place in the gym atNorthcott when gov Doylesigned into legislation makingJuneteenth a state holidayWEDDLE HAS MANY MEMORIES OVERTHE YEARS - BUT ONE THATSTANDS OUT MOST IS 1996 .ORGANIZERS DECIDED TO BRING INTHE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT SIGNEDBY PRESIDENT LINCOLN IN 1863ABOLISHING SLAVERY AND FREEINGTHOUSANDS OF AFRICAN AMERICANS.

We raised the money to flythe person in and theemancipation proclamation onan airplane, because we had topay for the seat that the EPsat on THEY UNVEILED IT DURINGTHEIR FREEDOM BALL AT THEMILWAUKEE PUBLIC MUSEUM.WEDDLE RECALLS IT WAS A BIGPRODUCTION WITH A REENACTMENTOF THE EVENT OF JUNE 19TH 1865we blocked off streetsslavemasters beating on them whilethey yelled 'i can't take itno more, i can't take it nomore" one of the slaves tookoff running and the whiteslave master ran after him ...then general granger was onhorseback with the blacksoldiers turning the corner,with the emancipationproclamation in hand lettingthe slaves know they'd beenfreed SS - HOW DID PEOPLEREACT?

It made them reallyrealize the importance of whywe do Juneteenth.

It made themrealize the history.

We as apeople are strong and have alot to offer.

We helped buildthis country.

Although we camefrom hard times, look at whatwe've been able to do for oneanother WEDDLE IS DETERMINEDTO KEEP THE HISTORY OFJUNETEENTH ALIVE FOR FUTUREGENERATIONS.33:22 we just haveto keep it out there and makesure our young peopleunderstand what juneteenth isall about 33:28 yeah we havefun, yeah it's a party, butthere is a whole lot ofhistory behind it.SHANNON SIMSMAC WEDDLE MAC WEDDLE RECENTLYRETIRED AS THE EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR OF NORTHCOTTNEIGHBORHOOD HOUSE.

THOUGH THEJUNETEENTH CELEBRATION ISCANCELED THIS YEAR.

MAC SAYSORGANIZERS HAVE BIG PLANS FORNEXT YEAR'S 50