GALVESTON -- The sense of history was strong Friday night at Reedy Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church, the site of the first documented celebration of emancipation.
Juneteenth marks the day the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Galveston, Texas, finally spreading the word around holdout southern towns that slavery had been abolished, two and a half years earlier.
As folks marked 150 years later, they said it's more important than ever to remember our history.
Through music, lessons and prayer, the crowd honored the 150th anniversary of the freeing of the last slaves in the south.
"Makes us all think about our ancestors and what they went through and gives us inspiration for doing better in the world today," said Myrtle Williams.
But through all the celebration, nine balloons swayed silently from the wall, in memory of the nine lives lost in another African Methodist Episcopal Church 1,000 miles away in Charleston.
"It's been 150 years. We've come a long way but with Baltimore and Ferguson and now Charleston it just shows and confirms that we have a long way to go," said Tammi Allen, who traveled from New Jersey to join in the celebration.
People gathered for the event said progress only comes by facing our history and working actively to not repeat it.
"As tragic and horrific as that incident was, we hope that something good will come out of that," said Charles Williams.
So the night ended with those nine balloons released, traveling up to join giants in history, and leave us with one lesson.
"It's still something that we are the human race," said Audrey Bullock. "We have to look at one another and accept one another, love one another, that's most important."
