June 19, once an afterthought for many, is getting more recognition across the country two years after gaining official status as a federal holiday.

And Georgia, a state with a rich Black history and culture, is the perfect place for many freedom-loving Americans to observe the importance of Juneteenth to Black communities around the state.

“This is a tremendous day where the slaves were given notice that, hey, the things that you’re doing, you don’t have to do that anymore. You can leave. I thought that was something that we really needed to pay homage to and work on,” said state Rep. Miriam Paris, a Macon Democrat who was a long-time proponent of making Juneteenth a state holiday in Georgia.

“Just the idea that now they are thinking about discontinuing diversity and inclusion conversations,” Paris said. “We’ve got to do what needs to be done. To make sure that we take forward motion to know our own history.”

To keep Black history alive, a multitude of Juneteenth celebrations kicked off on Saturday and each focused on a unique scope of the holiday. Several events took place in the metro Atlanta area, ranging from cookouts and parades to fashion shows.

Marching to a new beat

From the state Capitol to Centennial Park, Georgians of all stripes marched, danced and even double-Dutched their way through the city as part of Atlanta’s Juneteenth Parade and Music Festival.

The Juneteenth krewe included: the Atlanta Ol’ Skool Drummers, an all-male percussion group; Marching to Harmony Inc., a nonprofit group aiming to protect music and art programs in public schools; and Power Up by Atlanta Public Schools which offers summer learning programs for K-12 students. Rep. Mesha Mainor, an Atlanta Democrat, participated in the parade. Also on hand were a couple…