EATONVILLE, Fla. — On Wednesday, the Eatonville community came together to celebrate Juneteenth. 

The celebrations may be over, but people were still looking toward the future.  

What You Need To Know

  • Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021 

  • It celebrates the day two-and-a-half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free

  • This is the second year Eatonville has held a Juneteenth celebration

  • According to the James Madison Institute, Eatonville is the oldest Black-incorporated municipality in the United States

“We’re here to embrace history and also to celebrate freedom,” said Eatonville City Council member Wanda Randolph.

That’s a message everyone at the event agrees with.

“Freedom is real, and it is up to us to do all that we can with that freedom,” Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardner said. 

Candace Finley is on the committee that helped make Eatonville’s six-day Juneteenth event happen.

“I have to speak in a way that helps gives people confidence to speak up for themselves," she said. "So it’s important to me to be an advocate for my community, because where else would I be if I didn’t advocate for myself. My community magnifies me, so I have to honor it."

According to the James Madison Institute, Eatonville is the oldest Black-incorporated municipality in the United States.

It was established in 1887 by African American freedmen.

“Progress is understanding who we are as community," Finley said. "Regardless of what is going on, we come together every time."

Finley practices what she preaches.

In 2017, she started eSTEAMed Learning Incorporated, a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing engagement in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math to underserved communities.

“Grace, honor, and our ancestors have kept us alive, and we just have to honor that,” Finley said.