Juneteenth Celebrations Highlight Black Culinary Heritage

Juneteenth celebrations across the United States have gained increased cultural, historical, and economic prominence, exemplified by events like Troy University's Rosa Parks Museum festival in Alabama and the Juneteenth Foodways Festival in Indianapolis, which now highlight Black-owned businesses and honor culinary figures such as Dolly Johnson. These festivals center on family, heritage, and community, using music, dance, and food to commemorate the end of slavery and connect generations. Black-owned restaurants, including Lannie's BBQ Spot in Selma, are being recognized for their historical roles in the civil rights movement as safe havens for activists. New traditions like the Okra Soup Festival by the O.K.R.A Soup Foundation aim to uplift specific cultural groups such as the Gullah Geechee. Collectively, these events and businesses underscore the continuing influence of Black entrepreneurship, activism, and cultural expression in America. The expansion of Juneteenth as a state holiday further cements its significance in the national consciousness.