Celebration for freedom. Now, a national holiday, juneteenth is the direct result of centuries of resistance and revolution by black people leading a fight for their liberation. In 1861, tension between the north and the south reached its Breaking Point over slavery and statehood, and The Civil War began. On january 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of The Civil War, president Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that all people held as slaves within the confederate controlled states were now free. The proclamation also granted black men access into a struggling union army. By the end of the war, more than 200,000 black soldiers, known as the United States colored troops, had enlisted, becoming instrumental to the unions victory. The civil war officially ended in april of 1865, but it wasnt until june 19th of that year, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, that thousands of colored troops arrived in galveston texas, to read general order number three, informing the last enslaved black people that they were now free. That day would become the true marker of freedom in america. In 2021, juneteenth, also called emancipation day, freedom day, jubilee day, and black independence day, became an official federal holiday, sparking a global celebration. On this day, we honor the resilience, ingenuity, and determination it took for black people to take hold of the very essence of what it means to be an american, freedom. Here to lead us in the singing of the black national anthem, please welcome, gospel music legend, kirk franklin. Brothers and sisters, lets get up on our feet together, yall. Come on, lets make this thing real. Make it real with us. Come on. Lift every voice and sing til earth and heaven ring let it ring. Ring with the harmonies of liberty let our rejoicing rise high as the Listening Skies come on. Let me hear you, family. Come on. Let it resound loud as the rolling sea loud as the rolling sea. Come on. I want everybody to do it for me here. If you remember this, come on. Sing a song full of the faith that The Dark Past has taught us come on, sing. Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us face it. Facing the rising sun of our new day begun its. Let us march on, yall, to victory. Let us March On Till Victory is won stony the road we trod i want you to clap with me like in church here, everybody. Everybody clap like this. How yall doing out there . To all my brothers out there hold your head up to my sisters in the struggle. To victory. To victory as one. Let us March On Till Victory is won this is juneteenth, a Global Celebration For Freedom, with performances by kirk franklin, chloe, miguel, swv, Charlie Wilson, coi leray, Mike Phillips, big freda, davido, nelly, tank of tank and the bangers, jodeci, and Adam Blackstone and the bbe all star band. And special appearances by President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, Vice PresidentKamala Harris, quest love, money long, jimmy jam, and romeo. And now, please welcome back, kirk franklin. I want to say to all my brothers and sisters, i want you to know that you are so special and you are socalled to this very moment that you are live at this present state in life to be able to know that even know what weve gone through as been so painful, your future is so bright. Your future is so big. You future is so beautiful. And if god is for you, who can be against you . I need to hear you make some noise about that right now. I want to know, can you just get your worship on with your boy One More Time . I said, can you get your church on with your boy One More Time . Get up on your feet. Get up on your feet. Come on. Come on. I want to talk to you right now. I know you got some questions about what youre going through. Lets talk about it. Talking Bout Mountains TalkingBout Pain Talking bout my wife when will it change talking bout all things god can do all things talking bout nighttime lose my way and my dreams that have been erased talking bout all things i said god can do all things i know days, it wont always be easy so its good to know ill never let you down talking bout all things all the big and the small things god can do all things if i can get a witness out there, let me hear you make some Noise Talking bout doubts that flood my mind im out of funds and im out of time i need a blessing i need you to do all things i know days it wont always be easy so its good to know ill never let you down talking bout all things all the big and the small things god can god can do all things i need a witness out here i need a witness come on, One More Time taking bout all things all the big and the small things god can do all things i want to see Everybody Rock with me. I want to see Everybody Rock with me like this. I want you to do it like you know you cute too. Rock with me. Rock with me. Talking bout all things all the big and the small things talking bout doors youve never seen blessings on blessings for you to receive talking bout all things all the big and the small things talking bout doors youve never seen blessings on blessings for you to receive talking bout all things see the blessings coming all the big and the small things but he had to get you ready for it what we talking about all things what we talking about all things say it again all things let me hear it all things god can do it he can do it all things all things, all things god can do it, he can do it all things say it again now all things talking about all things all the big and the small things god can do all things melodies from Heaven Come On, sing It Melodies From Heaven Rain Down On Me rain down on me rain down on me kick it up, kick it up rain down on me Rain Down On Me Come on, come on Rain Down On Me Come on rain down on me kick it off, kick it kick it off rain down on me rain down on me rain down on me Rain Down On Me Melodies melodies from Heaven Come On hands up in the air, los angeles. Sing it with me, say, melody. Melodies from heaven you not singing like you a big choir. I want you to sound like you came from an old school church. Say, melody. Melodies from heaven i want to see some sweat. I want to see some jerry curl sweat on that head like you in a hot church. Melodies. Melodies from heaven i want you to sing it like your grandmama got one of them church fans. Melodies. Melodies from heaven [ cheers and applause ] our celebration continues with performances by miguel, swv, and nelly. Plus a special message from Vice PresidentKamala Harris. And still to come, Charlie Wilson takes the stage. Its juneteenth, a Global Celebration For Freedom. Welcome friends, to the middle of everything friends that bike together. Hike together with goats. Cant wait to see what tomorrow brings, here in the middle of everything meet the griller. Goes to wayfair for top grills and gear. And smoking fast shipping. Well done wayfair, youve got just what i need at pnc bank, you can find us in big cities and small towns across the us, where our focus is to always support the people who live and work there. Because you call these communities home, and we do too. Pnc bank. Hit it it takes two to make a thing go right it takes two to make it outta sight one, two, get loose now it takes two to make a. Stay two nights and get a 50 best western gift card. Book now at bestwestern. Com. Is it possible to protect my business from Cyber Threats . It is, with Comcast Business. Helping every connected device stay protected. Yours. Your employees. Even. Susan . Hers, too. Safe. Secure. And powered by The Next Generation 10g network. With Comcast Business, advanced security isnt just possible. Its happening. Get started with fast speeds and advanced security for 49. 99 a month for 12 months. Plus ask how to get up to a 750 prepaid card with qualifying internet. Juneteenth is an american story, where the last remaining slaves of the confederacy were officially set free two years after emancipation. After that day, many newly freed men and women travelled through what is recognized at the emancipation trail, a route that led them directly from galveston to the heart of a newly developing city in texas called houston. Jack yates, A Formerly Enslaved Black Man settled in houston. Yates started the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church to be a safe place for black folks to learn, gather, and build. Reverend yates was a community leader, a visionary, and he helped to ensure that the houston area had a Viable Community of black citizens that had their own businesses, had their own homes, and their own institutions. This area was houstons black wall street. You had blacksmiths. You had folks that ran printing shops. You saw blacks elected to public office. So, this is this drive thats coming out of slavery and beating the challenges that were set before them. As Freedmen Town and other surrounding black neighborhoods began to take shape, yates began to set his sights on land, Emancipation Park, serving as a hub for all freed black people to congregate, organize, and celebrate juneteenth for more than 150 years. It was bought by the formerly enslaved people. No one gave it to them. They had the imagination, they had the vision, and they had the willingness to do what it took to own the land. Emancipation park is actually the first park that was bought and owned by citizens In The City Of Houston. There was no other park, period, In The City Of Houston in 1872, for anybody. They wanted to be able to come together as a community, a broader community, and purchasing the park gave them that opportunity. They would dress up. They would get on their horses and their buggies, celebrating their freedom. They were very proud of being freed. Today, Emancipation Park remains a historical site In The City Of Houston. And as new generations embrace its history, build new memories, and celebrate juneteenth, its existence serves as a reminder of what is truly possible with freedom. We owe it to not only ourselves but our children, our grandchildren, our great grandchildren, and to everybody around us to help them understand how important freedom is. Welcome back to juneteenth, a Global Celebration For Freedom. L. A. , make some noise. My name is romeo from 95k morning show. Weve got a lot of special orders coming to the stage. But coming to the stage right now, hes the best in the game. He aint never changed. Yall better stand up, show some love for miguel [ cheers and applause ] whats up l. A. . Are we celebrating today or what . Yeah. Say, i like, what you got i want what you got youve been so tied up in your mind these days, oh a Sweet Distraction might be what you need, oh your body on inferno, inferno your mind on my, my, my but you deserve to let go, to let go to let yourself unwind cause you lit, im lit, we lit and im ready to fly you lit, im lit, we lit and im ready to fly yeah, i like what you got i like what you got i like what you got would you give it to me i like what you got i like what you got i like what you got would you give it to me i like what you got i like what you got i like what you got would you give it to me i like what you got, would you give it to me if i lose focus, help me concentrate, oh, love help me concentrate, hey ill be your doctor, let me operate your body on infernos, inferno your eyes dont lieieie ooh, ah i mean, you fine and you yeah, you lit, im lit, we lit, ooh, and im ready to fly you lit, im lit, we lit ooh, and im ready to fly i like what you got i like what you got i like what you got would you give it to me i like what you got i like what you got i like what you got would you give it to me i like what you got i like what you got i like what you got would you give it to me ill finish the mission tonight i can ease your mind tonight put your mind at ease you just need attention tonight curb your inhibition tonight give you Violent Peace you been locked down, i got the key, yeah lil devil, set you free ah, take it all, baby, breathe as you give it all to me i like what you got, cause i like what you got i like what you got, would you give it to me i like what you got, yeah, i like what you got i like what you got, would you give it to me i like what you got, i like what you got i like what you got, would you give it to me i like what you got, what you got, give that to me i want what you got, what you got, give that to me what you got thats right. L. A. We celebrating juneteenth, man. Weve come a long way, havent we . Say, you could bet that, never bet sweat that. What . You can bet that never gotta sweat that if you be the cash ill be the rubber band you be the match i will be a fuse, boom painter, baby, you could be the muse im the reporter, baby, you could be the news cause youre the cigarette and im we raise a bet cause youre the joker checked off, you are the chalk and i can be the blackboard you can be the talk and i can be the walk, yeah even when the sky comes falling even when the sun dont shine i got faith in you and i so put your pretty little hand in mine even when were down to the wire, babe even when its do or die we could do it, baby, simple and plain cause this love is a sure thing you could bet that, never gotta sweat that you could bet that, never gotta sweat that you could bet that, never gotta sweat that you could bet that, never gotta sweat that you could be the lover, ill be the fighter, babe you could be the lighter, babe fire it up writer, baby, you could be the quote, yeah uh if im the lyric, baby, you could be the note saint im a sinner prize im a winner and its you, what did i do to deserve that paper, baby, ill be the pen say that im the one cause you are a ten real and not pretend even when the sky comes falling yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah even when the sun dont shine i got faith in you and i so put your pretty little hand in mine even when its do or die we can do it baby why its a sure thing uh, now rock with me, baby let me hold you in my arms talk with me babe, yeah, yeah uh, now rock with me baby let me hold you in my arms talk with me, babe, yeah, yeah this love between you and i is simple as pie, baby yeah, its such a sure thing its such a sure thing oh, it such a sure thing its such a sure thing the sun dont shine so put your pretty little hand in mine you could bet that, never gotta sweat that you could bet that, never gotta sweat that you could bet that, never gotta sweat that you could bet that, never gotta sweat that yeah even when the sky comes falling down even when the sun dont shine we can do it, baby, simple and plain this love love you, l. A. Happy juneteenth coming up, Vice PresidentKamala Harris joins us, followed by a special performance from the divine nine. And later, coi leray and jodeci take the stage, when our Juneteenth Celebration for freedom continues. We never just see the numbers. We see what it looks like to support The Next Generation, by first supporting this one. The possibilities that can grow when an idea takes root and its given the freedom to grow wild. How we can come together to overcome lifes greatest challenges. And when people develop new skills, it can develop a whole community. Thats why were here, to help make it happen. Oh, right. Its today. [chanting excitedly] Great Wolf LodgeGreat Wolf Lodge howd they get in . Alright, boy. Here we go. Nothing brings the pack together like a trip to Great Wolf Lodge. From big cities, to small towns, and on main streets across the us, youll find pnc bank. 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